There's a new captain at the helm of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) Shuswap - Station 106 in Sicamous.

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, station volunteer Tamara Lansing was elected as the new Station Leader by her peers, succeeding former leader Rob Sutherland. 

"As a Sicamous resident and volunteer with the RCMSAR Station 106 since 2020, Tamara is excited about the station's future and continued growth over the next several years," deputy station leader Doug Wasylenki said in a media release. 

The transition comes after Sutherland announced in July that he would be stepping down from the role that he has filled for the last 12 years, successfully growing the station since its inception in 2012. He successfully built the program, quickly recruiting volunteers for training in just 10 months. 

As a tugboat and barge specialist, Sutherland was highly skilled in operating vessels, had impressive mariner credentials, a strong military background and was well acquainted with Shuswap Lake.

"Over the past 12 years Rob has tirelessly dedicated over 5,700 volunteer hours, conducted dozens of training sessions annually and onboarded all of our new RCMSAR Station 106 volunteer members," Wasylenki added, thanking Sutherland for his leadership. 

Under his direction, the station has grown to a team of 30 volunteers offering services across the Shuswap Lake system "safeguarding lives and minimizing injuries and operating around the clock 365 days of the year."

Though no longer the leader, Sutherland will remain with the station as a volunteer and mentor to the team.