IRB trip honours surf life saver Bob Marsh Camden Haven Camden Haven News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - September 13, 2024 The inflatable rescue boat (IRB) named in honour of Robert ‘Bob’ Marsh. FIFTY years ago a group of surf life savers from Soldiers Beach on the Central Coast embarked on a groundbreaking journey from Sydney to Coolangatta by sea to showcase the effectiveness and versatility of inflatable rescue boats (IRBs). Last week a recreation of that trip helped pay tribute to a local surf lifesaving legend. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “In 1974, some of our Life Members did the 700 kilometre trip in 31 hours to show the durability and reliability of these [IRB] boats,” said Kate Keys from Soldiers Beach Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC). The feat left a lasting impact on the Australian surf life saving community, highlighting the potentially life-saving benefits of IRB usage. “It was such an amazing and enormous effort and it really changed the way people were rescued and the face of surf life saving.” Half a century on, modern-day members of the Soldiers Beach SLSC have recreated the journey. Launching on Monday 2 September from Sydney Harbour, two IRBs and their crews reached Coolangatta by Friday 6 September, visiting nine surf life saving clubs on the way as they travelled north. A support bus tracked the journey from land. The crew also made a stop at the Dunbogan boat ramp to refuel and pay tribute to late Soldiers Beach SLSC Life Member Robert ‘Bob’ Marsh. Present to meet the IRBs were Kim Jenkins and Michelle Kirkwood, Bob’s daughters. A legend of the Soldiers Beach club, one of the IRBs undertaking the trip north was named in Bob’s honour. Michelle said the family had joined Soldiers Beach SLSC in the 1970s, before becoming involved in later years in the Wauchope Bonny Hills SLSC. “Dad loved surf boats,” Michelle said. “He rowed with and swept many successful crews and he also loved IRB racing. “Both my sister and I competed with him in IRB racing, winning two State Titles. “In 2005 I joined WBHSLSC when my eldest child was old enough to start Nippers. “In about 2013 a group of us ‘old girls’ at the club lured Dad out of retirement to teach us how to row a surf boat. “We spent the whole of that winter learning to row in the river. “By the start of the season, we had the basics down pat and were ready to hit the ocean and start competing.” Honoured by the tribute to her father, Kim said surf life saving had been part of family life for 50 years. “If we were not at home we were at the surf club at Soldiers Beach. “It is such an honour to see Dad celebrated, especially with his name on the IRB alongside his best mate, John ‘Seagull’ Edwards. “You could not ask for a better tribute.” By Kim AMBROSE Sisters Michelle Kirkwood and Kim Jenkins celebrating their Dad’s legacy at Dunbogan boat ramp. A visiting IRB being led onto open water by Michelle Kirkwood and a crew member from Wauchope Bonny Hills SLSC. The IRB crew with Big Brother mountain in the background.
