Canadian Coast Guard Inshore Rescue Boat training in Parry Sound, Ontario

PARRY SOUND, ON, April 23, 2025 /CNW/ - The Canadian Coast Guard's Inshore Rescue Boat (IRB) program will hold search and rescue training for crews between April 25 and May 12, 2025 in Parry Sound, Ontario.

Training will be carried out during daytime and nighttime hours at the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) Base in Parry Sound and surrounding waters south to Midland, and north to Britt. The public can expect to see upwards of 10 CCG Zodiac Fast Rescue Craft and helicopters throughout the area. There is no real emergency or danger to the public.

IRB crew carrying out on-water training, May 2024. (CNW Group/Canadian Coast Guard)

This training certifies and prepares students to respond to marine emergencies during the summer months, such as, but not limited to, medical emergencies, missing persons/boaters, vessels aground, vessels taking on water, and disabled vessels. 

Each summer, the Canadian Coast Guard hires post-secondary students and trains them as IRB crews at stations across Canada. These stations provide supplementary search and rescue services during the busy summer boating season. The IRB program provides employment experience and mentorship to post-secondary students. 

On the Great Lakes, the Canadian Coast Guard operates six IRB stations. They are located at Britt (Georgian Bay), Brebeuf Island (Georgian Bay), Hill Island (St. Lawrence River), Port Lambton (St. Clair River), Thames River (Lake St. Clair) and Long Point (Lake Erie). IRB stations are open annually from May to October.

For more information on the IRB program, visit: https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/search-rescue-recherche-sauvetage/irb-esc/index-eng.html. 

Quick Facts

• IRB crews consist of one coxswain and two crew members. Crews operate on a rotating schedule of 14 days on, 14 days off.
  
  
• In the regions where they operate, Inshore Rescue Boat crews are often the first to respond to distress calls from mariners or to those in need of assistance. Across Canada, crews respond to approximately 1,200 incidents each season.
  
  
• Crews also provide public education on boating safety, and each year conduct more than 1,400 Pleasure Craft Courtesy Checks in partnership with Transport Canada's Office of Boating Safety Program. 

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SOURCE Canadian Coast Guard

For more information: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, Central Region, 204-984-4715, [email protected]