About Virgin Island Search & Rescue
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History
In 1988, at the request of the Government the group of people running the informal search and rescue service was asked to create an “autonomous, para-professional, dedicated volunteer maritime search and rescue to be run as a Non-Profit Organization.”
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Board
VISAR’s Board of Directors is made up of 8 members who are voted in at our Annual General Meeting. The board helps to guide and carry out the organizations mission while ensuring the short- and long-term goals are being met by the crew, trainees and staff members.
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Crew
Our fully trained volunteer crew, trainees and coordinators, since 2014 have given over 22,000 hours of their personal time to train, attend meetings and dedicate themselves to VISAR’s mission of “Saving Lives at Sea.”
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Boats
VISAR has two base stations; one in Road Reef Marina, Tortola and the second in Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour. Tortola has a 32-foot Parker 1000 Baltic RIB, powered by twin 300 hp outboard engines. On station in Virgin Gorda is a 28-foot TP Marine RIB, powered by twin 225 hp outboard engines.
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Equipment
VISAR’s rescue vessels are fully outfitted with the latest medical, vessel safety and search and rescue equipment and communication devices.
testimonials
During a dive at the RMS Rhone, one of my Sergeant’s experienced a medical emergency at a depth of about 50 feet…A crew of three VISAR volunteers responded to the scene within about 20 minutes of the phone call. The crew was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and reassuring. Thankfully, Sergeant Henderson made a quick recovery and further treatment was not necessary.
From one group of first responders to another, I would like to thank the volunteers who responded that day for their time, effort and dedication to public service
I truly owe your team my life. I don’t even know how to begin to thank you for giving me a second chance at life. What an amazingly special group of men and women you all are, I wish I could explain how thankful and grateful I am that you came to my rescue, but I will find a way to thank you properly. You are all such special people and you will always have a big place in our hearts. Thank you, thank you, thank you
Amy British Virgin Islands
On February 1, 2017, while on a cruise, I went on a dive excursion. It started out fine, but soon into the dive, I began to experience difficulty in breathing due to a chest cold. I told the dive master I needed to ascend and proceeded to the surface. The next thing I remember was regaining consciousness in the Peebles Hospital ER. I wasn’t aware of anything going on at the time, of course, but I have since learned that from the time the distress call came into VISAR’s base at 10:45 am, 38 minutes later, I was at Peebles Hospital. WOW!! Especially in my case, why is this such a big deal? During my four days in ICU, I was told that when I arrived at the ER, my organs had begun to shut down. The doctor’s comment was actually “it was critical that you got here so fast”. I started to ask what she meant, but then stopped because I realized the answer. I truly owe my life to VISAR and will financially support it for the rest of my life.
Jack Erb Texas, USAEvents
Support VISAR
As a non-profit, non-government organization with an annual operation budget of $250,000 USD, we take pride in that VISAR will never charge you for our services! We rely solely on donations, fundraising events and grants to continue our mission of “Saving Lives at Sea.”
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articles
Funding Needed for New Rescue Vessel
VISAR is asking the community to help us secure the balance of the funds needed to replace Virgin Gorda’s rescue
By Julie Schneider
VIRTUAL Swim and SUP the Sound – 2020
Join us for VIRTUAL Swim and SUP the Sound! This is open to all VISAR supporters no matter where in the world you a
By Julie Schneider
Mayday Fundraiser Month – $15 Donation for EFR Certification Cards
MAYDAY FUNDRAISING MONTH…A $15 donation will pay for a crew member’s Emergency First Responder (EFR) ce
By Julie Schneider
Mayday Fundraiser Month
Dear VISAR Supporters, These are challenging times for us all. Life feels uncertain and unrecognizable, but some th
By Julie Schneider
Useful Numbers To Know During COVID19 Lockdown
There is a lot of information going around, hence, we have consolidated some of the useful numbers and emails into
By Julie Schneider
The PULsE | A Quarterly Newsletter, Spring 2020
VISAR –A word from our Public Relations Representative Dear VISAR supporters, During this unprecedented time, VIS
By Julie Schneider
Health and Safety Update #2
VISAR is taking the COVID 19 threat very seriously. We have put several new procedures into place to ensure the hea
By Julie SchneiderHealth and Safety Update #1
Virgin Islands Search and Rescue is taking COVID-19 very seriously; the safety of our crew and those that may call
By Julie Schneider