June 6, 2026
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Bluewater Rescue and the "Mysis" rescue boat have returned to service, and the crew continues to train in order to provide proper response to a search-and-rescue incident on the water.
The “Mysis” is a community vessel, based in the Kincardine Harbour, tasked with assisting boats in trouble in the waters of Lake Huron, from Point Clark to Tobermory.
The rescue boat is owned by Bluewater Rescue Inc., while the team on board is called Bluewater Rescue, part of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary. It operates through the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton which determines the unit closest to respond to an incident on the water. Goderich also has an auxiliary unit.
Currently, Bluewater Rescue has two crews, with six volunteers per crew. Training is done Thursday, from 7-9 p.m., along the north side of the Kincardine Harbour. With funds from the Municipality of Kincardine, the unit has purchased a new GPS and several other pieces of equipment.
Coxswain Jim Cooper (left) secures equipment on the "Mysis" rescue boat, with help from volunteer Conner Dixon
Jim Cooper has been coxswain for 27 years, working alongside captain Kevin Vokey, also a coxswain, for more than 20 years.
The season runs from now through to mid-October, with the unit being called out to 10 calls per season, on average.
The rescue unit works with Kincardine Fire and Emergency Services, and the municipality now has a drone which will be useful for marine operations as well as search-and-rescue incidents.
Cooper says the “Mysis” was launched in 1999, and has received numerous improvements over the years. He stressed that the crew members do not go into the water, but rescue people from the boat and the zodiac.
Vokey emphasized that there is no charge for the rescue services, and you don’t need a radio licence for an emergency call. “Sometimes, people don’t call in if they think there’s a charge for this service.”
More volunteers are needed to operate the rescue boat and serve on the Bluewater Rescue Inc. board of directors. If you are interested, contact ccgaunit235@gmail.com.
The Bluewater Rescue team, part of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, trains on the "Mysis"
Training onboard the "Mysis," are Bluewater Rescue volunteers Steve Shute (left), Cindy Cartwright, deputy unit leader Ben Alexander, captain and coxswain Kevin Vokey, trainer and coxswain Jim Cooper, Pete Chisholm, Steve Kelly, Conner Dixon and Holly Trudgeon
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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