By Hayley Gastmeier
The Riversdale Beach Surf Lifesaving Club would have been in “a big, dark hole” had a Masterton business not come to the rescue.
Langlands Motorcycles has pledged a second-hand quad bike to the club for summer use.
This comes after the club’s red Honda 400 quad was stolen from a locked container on site in October.
It was taken just six weeks out from when the surf lifesaving season began, with club chairman Dave Rose saying at the time the loss was extremely upsetting.
“When it was stolen the timing was too late for us to enact any funding from any of the usual funding streams and grant providers.
“So Grant, who owns Langlands, has been very kind and has offered us a second-hand quad to see us through summer.”
Mr Rose said he was grateful for the gesture and the donated quad “would be superb” for the club.
“It will get us out of a big, deep hole.
“We use the quad to do our mobile patrols as we patrol about 20 kilometres of beach line.
“The quad is used to tow the IRB rescue boats in and out of the water and, as well as getting us around the coastal area, it gets us up into the farmlands and to rural roads.”
As well as rescues on the beach, the lifeguards with the club are first responders to medical emergencies in the Riversdale township and neighbouring farms.
“The quad bike is essential for us to do that,” Mr Rose said.
“In a nut shell, without a quad bike, we’re in trouble.”
From Boxing Day until the end of January Riversdale Beach will be patrolled daily from 9am to 5pm.
The beach will be patrolled on Saturday afternoons leading up to this.
Lifeguards will also be manning the beach from lunchtime on Christmas day.
Mr Rose said on any given day during the holidays there would be six or seven lifeguards on duty.
“Obviously if it’s a pretty awful day you can drop your guards down a little bit but equally if it’s hot and sunny and the sea is great then we’ve got to make sure we’ve got enough guards to adequately patrol the beach.”
Last year 50-odd volunteer and regional lifeguards had patrolled the beach over summer, Mr Rose said.
“Each year new guards put their hand up to volunteer at the beach, and joined by older guards, it is a great environment for these young adults.
“Their commitment to helping the community is outstanding.”
Wow, how great it is to have such a responsible and generous business owner in the form of Grant Langlands, who is spending his own money to help ensure the safety of the community.
Thanks must also be given to the Times Age and to Hayley for a superb article highlighting the generosity of Grant Langlands and the civic duty he has performed.