IRB LAUNCH 2023 – DONATED BY THE HOLT ESTATE 1861

IRB LAUNCH 2023 – DONATED BY THE HOLT ESTATE 1861

On Sunday 19 November we were excited and proud to Launch Wanda’s new inflatable rescue boat (IRB) donated by The Holt Estate 1861 and named in honour of hard-working volunteers Brett “Tiny” Porteous and Mark “Lakey” Lake.

It was a memorable day watching our new IRB in action and welcoming our special guests, Mayor Carmello Pesce, The Hon. Mark Speakman, The Holt Estate 1861, Wanda Members, friends, family and supporters as we thanked and acknowledged Brett and Mark for their remarkable commitment to Wanda and the community and for the tremendous support we have received over the last 2 decades by The Holt Estate 1861.

BRETT PORTEOUS gained his IRB credentials in 2012 and has been Wanda’s IRB Captain for the last 2 seasons; a role that comes along with an enormous amount of work outside of patrol hours to keep Wanda’s IRBs “Rescue Ready” and on the water. Brett is a fantastic contributor, completing patrols, being a stalwart of the Nipper IRB section for the better part of a decade, manning the IRB every Sunday over summer at Nippers. Brett has been in the IRB for countless carnivals; for both setup and water safety, sometimes starting before the sun comes up, and often leaving at the end of the day in the dark.

MARK LAKE has been a constant and reliable presence in the IRB section of the last 6 years since gaining his IRB credentials in 2018. He is the first to volunteer to help set up carnivals, fulfill carnival IRB shifts, complete IRB maintenance and work through the annual gear inspection. He has also been a regular IRB Crew member during his tenure in the Nipper IRB section, and often substitutes for IRB drivers and crew on Patrols at Wanda.

Both Brett and Mark have been instrumental in supporting our community, giving back and inspiring the next generation at Wanda.