A new vehicle designed to aid with rapid beach rescues could soon be stationed in Morro Bay and fundraising is currently underway.
The utility vehicle, similar to an ATV, was requested by both the Morro Bay lifeguards and the harbor department. The UTV wasn’t in the city budget so the Friends of the Morro Bay Harbor Department is fundraising to make it happen.
“Right now, we’re using a truck and we have to deflate the tires to get down to the beach. This is something that we can utilize to access the beach and have it equipped for paramedics and lifeguard saving activities,” said Bill Luffee, Friends of the Morro Bay Harbor Department president.
The rescue UTV would offer benefits such as its agility on the sand due to its tire suspension and compact size, cost effectiveness because it’s more affordable than a standard emergency vehicle, rapid response because it comes with emergency tools, first aid and oxygen, and enhanced communication from its PA system inside the vehicle.
“As Morro Bay continues to grow, I think the biggest sector is tourism which means more people on the beach who don’t necessarily know how to handle themselves on the beach and they can get themselves in trouble an awful lot,” said David Sozinho of Morro Bay.
Luffee says there could be moments where, depending on the terrain of the beach at the time, having a UTV could have an impact on someone’s life.
“The last storms that we had two weeks ago, we were not able to get any vehicles down on the beach so if we had a rescue we would’ve been out of luck. The UTV would’ve been able to get down and do the rescues,” Luffee said.
Sozinho surfs in Morro Bay and says having the UTV could help not only those who are on the beach but are also surfing the big waves that draw people to the city.
“There’s a lot of us who surf on a regular basis but there’s always someone who is new trying it and you never know what could happen the day that we’d need some immediate service,” Sozinho said.
As of Monday, they have raised $27,000 of their $40,000 goal since launching the fundraiser in October. Friends of the Morro Bay Harbor Department is looking to purchase the UTV by March.
“I think it’s going to be one more faucet for the people who are out here using the beach just like manning the lifeguard stands is another element that we need,” Sozinho said.
For more information on the fundraiser, click here.
