Surf Life Savers will return to South Coast beaches from this weekend but as we say hello to Surf Life Savers, the Batemans Bay Surf Life Saving Club will be saying goodbye to one of their own.
Life Member of the Batemans Bay Surf Club, Anthony Vella, who passed away in July this year, will have his ashes scattered off his favourite beach on Sunday.
President of the Batemans Bay Surf Life Saving Club and long time friend of Mr Vella’s, Tracy Innes, said family, friends and acquaintances of the late 64-year-old are invited to Malua Bay Beach from 9am on Sunday to scatter Tony’s remains.
“Tony’s family have asked us to scatter his ashes at his favourite beach this Sunday,” Ms Innes said.
“It means he’ll always be with us on patrol, so we’re pretty stoked that they’re allowing us to do that.”
Tony was involved in Surf Life Saving on the South Coast for the better part of four decades.
He averaged over 100 patrolling hours every year, was the Club’s Chief Trainer and Assessor and a major contributor to the emergency call out team.
“We’re going to do a traditional ‘Surf Club Farewell’ and if you’ve never seen that, we will go off the beach, with a couple of surf boats and water crafts and we’ll go out ‘Oars Up’ in the middle of the ocean there, while we drop Tony’s ashes and have a minutes silence,” Ms Innes said.
“Then we’ll come back to the beach and have a sausage sizzle and just have a talk to all the members and make sure everyone’s ok,” she said.
“Even though it’s the long weekend and the start of patrols and all of that we’re hoping to get a reasonable turn out on Sunday.”
Surf Clubs from Broulee, Moruya, Narooma and Mollymook will be involved on the day and people will be attending from up and down the coast.
All are welcome to attend the farewell. Any surf club members are asked to be there 15 minutes early to help take water crafts down to the beach.
