IRB Rescue

Avalon Beach SLSC prides itself in being the birthplace of the 'Inflatable Rescue Boat' (IRB). Life Member Warren Mitchell(OAM), pioneered the craft in the late 1960's. Warren had a vision of a rescue method which would be safer for Surf Life Savers to perform, and would also drastically improve the speed and efficiency of surf rescues.

The first IRB test run took place at Avalon Beach on November 2nd 1969. One month later, the first IRB rescue took place at Avalon Beach. It was a mass rescue,and Warren Mitchell and his crewmember rescued 8 people caught in a rip at a speed and efficiency that had simply never been achieved before.

The craft was deemed a major success. Warren Mitchell had developed a craft and rescue concept that would revolutionise Surf Life Saving in Australia, as well as around the world. Today IRBs account for more that 40% of rescues carried out in Australia, and are a compulsory piece of rescue equipment for all surf clubs.

Today, we at Avalon Beach SLSC have an impressive fleet of fully equipped IRBs. We take pride in our training techniques, and have a dedicated roster of capable IRB drivers and crew. Throughout the Lifesaving season, our crafts perform numerous rescues, searches, and water support for surf competition and events.

Some of our more competent drivers and crew spend the off season competing in the NSW IRB premiership, as well as the SLSA National IRB titles ( as seen in photos). We go up against the best of the best crews from all over the State and Country, to see who can perform the quickest and most efficient surf negotiation and rescue techniques. Training and confidence is of the upmost importance, and the skills we gain are put back into surf rescue during the summer season. In the 2007 season, our team won both gold and bronze State Title medals in various disciplines.

IRBs are expensive pieces of equipment to run, and we simply could not do it without the help of our major sponsors such as 'Avalon Beach RSL Club' and 'Mark Booth Autovation'. These organisations are the backbone of our capabilities, and we are forever grateful for their ongoing support.

for more information on IRB rescue competition, go to :