Barry Nash Receives Outstanding SAR Achievement Award at SARSCENE 2005

Barry Nash has been a true pillar of the Newfoundland SAR community for 22 years. Barry was a major force in the creation of the Newfoundland and Labrador Search and Rescue Association in 1996, and has stood as its treasurer for 8 years.

As coordinator of the Barachois SAR team for the past 15 years, Barry has shown exceptional leadership, making his team one of the most highly respected in the province. He has also generously shared his expertise with other teams across the province.

Barry is dedicated not only to improving SAR services, but to making them less necessary through safety education. In addition to presenting boating proficiency courses and serving as a resource at countless community events, he has taught youth groups in a wide range of skills, from wilderness survival and old-fashioned orienteering to using GPS systems. And he has worked tirelessly with education officials to establish ongoing safety programs in schools.

Barry was responsible for establishing the first Hovercraft Rescue Team in Newfoundland. Concerned that when snowmobilers or ATV drivers fell through the ice it was often hard to reach them with conventional rescue equipment, he spent countless hours investigating ways to improve SAR capability in such situations. When his research suggested a small hovercraft for the purpose, he found one on the Internet, arranged for it to be evaluated, then travelled Quebec to purchase the vehicle in person. Upon returning home, he then traveled across the province demonstrating the hovercraft's use to other SAR groups.

It was also through Barry's efforts that a Rapid Water Rescue Initiative was introduced to the province. Within two months of receiving a grant for the project, Barry had appropriate equipment researched and purchased, and a trained team in place.

Barry's dedication and innovations have saved many lives. An especially dramatic demonstration of the hovercraft's worth, as well as Barry's own valour, came one night in February of 2004, when three young men found their snowmobiles had become bogged down in slush near Stephenville Crossing in a blinding snowstorm. With visibility at zero, Barry and his team rescued the men in four harrowing trips with the hovercraft. Two members of Barry’s team received the RCMP Commanding Officer's Commendation for Bravery for their actions that night.

We are proud to recognize Barry's work as an organizer, an educator, an innovator, and, above all, a leader, with the outstanding SAR achievement award for 2005.

Barry accepting his award at SARScene 2005 in Prince Edward Island