By Martha Aitkin,
Bruce Peninsula Press
At a gathering of his peers at the Tobermory Coast Guard Station, Lonnie Adams of Tobermory graciously accepted gifts and awards to acknowledge and celebrate his 45 years of loyal service to the people of Canada. The awards were presented to Lonnie by Brian Weston, Deputy Marine Superintendent, on the dock right beside the Coast Guard vessel.
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is a recognized leader in maritime services and safety, working to ensure the safety of mariners and playing a crucial role in ensuring the sustainable use and development of Canada’s waterways.
After 45 years of service, Lonnie has many memories of heroic and harrowing life-saving experiences as a Rescue Specialist.
“This kind of work is not for the faint of heart,” said Lonnie. It takes incredible emotional strength to remain calm and professional in circumstances that are sometimes extremely challenging. The same weather conditions that may have led to an emergency are the weather conditions in which the Coast Guard crew must travel and provide service. Sometimes the crew could “load and go,” taking any injured people as quickly as possible to high-level emergency medical services. Other times, they had to “stay and play,” providing the best level of first responder medical care that they could under the circumstances. The crews he has worked with over the years always trusted his skills and knew that he would get them safely home.
In his retirement, Lonnie plans to stay warm and dry, using a treadmill to maintain his fitness. He expects to do “lots of woodworking”. Lonnie is also looking forward to having more time to spend with his friends and his family.
