FORMER Arapiles Rescue Group’s Keith Lockwood has spent his life out on the rocks of Mt Arapiles.
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Last Thursday, Mr Lockwood was recognised for his 50 years of volunteer contribution to rock climbing rescues at Mount Arapiles-Tooan State Park.
While the award recognised him as an individual, Mr Lockwood said it has acknowledge the dedication of everyone involved in rescues over the years.
“Rescues are a team effort – as a local on the scene or a member of the rescue group – we all pitched in and did a fantastic job,” he said.
Mr Lockwood has been involved in rock climbing rescues before the Arapiles Rescue Group was formed in the early 1990s.
He started doing rescues at just 15-years of age.
“We rescued a young woman who fell from The Bluff; she had hurt her knees and we had to climb up to her. Using a stretcher we hauled her down, hand over hand. It was a primitive rescue, but quite successful,” he said.
Mr Lockwood has been involved in many rescues, from minor to life and death situations.
He said they would never know the severity of the rescue until they arrived and assessed the scene.
“We were just young rock climbers and were out at the mount and just pitched in to help because there was no one else,” he said.
Mr Lockwood retired from rescuing duties in 2016.
He said the Arapiles Rescue Group numbers reduced over the years after the State Emergency Service required the group to take external training.
Mr Lockwood said streamlining the process was necessary to put the expert knowledge of Natimuk’s rock climbers to good use.
His opinion is quite timely, especially after the two rescues at Mt Arapiles on Thursday afternoon.
“During the presentation (for my 50-years of contribution) that we did out at Mt Arapiles, the Parks Victoria director and I were discussing the need to streamline the process to become more responsive and flexible for different scenarios,” he said.
“It was an incredible coincidence that the pagers went off, but it opened their eyes to the desperate need for an effective rescue service.”
Mr Lockwood said there was vast experience in Natimuk that is waiting to be used.
“You cannot get any better people in Australia and they can’t be overlooked,” he said.
“There is an incredible amount of expertise among Natimuk’s climbing community.
“They have to be given the opportunity to use their intelligence and assess the situation to come to the best and fastest process to rescue someone.”
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