S & R Co-ordinator & Bush Search & Rescue Victoria Delegate
- 1977 to 1981 there was no S & R Club Group.
- 1982 to 1994 (13 years of service) — Bruce Vine
- 1995 to 2011 (17 years of service) — Phil Evans
- 2012+ — Ian Franzke
Phil Evans (left) – 17+years of service & Bruce Vine – 13 years of service
— Both have been awarded life membership of the Club —
Phil Evans – 30 years service to Bush Search & Rescue Victoria recognise (1982–2012)
Fellow Birkebeiner member, Jim Gargan, left, presents Phil Evans with his 30 year Bush Search & Rescue Victoria Award
Group Bravery Citation
In November 2006 six Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club (BNSC) members received a group bravery citation at Government House, Melbourne.
Group Citation awardees comprised members of the Birkebeiners Nordic Ski Club and a member of the community.
- Robert Boland (BNSC)
- James Gargan (BNSC)
- Paul Grusovin (BNSC)
- David Panozzo (BNSC)
- Jarrod Paine (BNSC)
- Gordon Guest-Smith (Mt Hotham Ski Patrol)
(From left) Dave Panozzo, Jim Gargan, Jarrod Paine, Rob Boland, Gordon Guest-Smith. Absent: Paul Grusovin
In the early hours of 9 August 2004, five members of the Birkebeiner Nordic Ski Club and a member of the community were involved in the rescue of three cross country skiers caught in difficulty at the summit of Mt Bogong.
The six men in this group were volunteers tasked with the rescue mission. At approximately 12:30 am, carrying heavy loads of equipment for both their own and the three skiers’ survival, they began the 4 kilometre, thousand vertical metres climb to the top of Mt Bogong in darkness, in temperatures of minus 10 degrees, with winds gusting up to 80 kmph and a wind chill factor of between minus 20 and minus 40 degrees. The terrain was very steep and covered in deep snowdrifts with dangerous drop-offs on both sides of the route they took. They found the three skiers at about 4.15 am. All three were partially buried in the snow and suffering from hypothermia, with one unconscious. The rescue party worked from then until 6.00 am erecting tents; moving the unconscious skier to shelter; and administering first aid, warm drinks and food. When the weather cleared briefly at around 9.00 am, the rescued skiers were evacuated by helicopter and the rescue party descended the mountain, arriving back at their vehicles some 12 hours after setting out.
Rescue Images
Click on a photo to enlarge
Click on a photo to enlarge
July 2014 Snowboarders Search on Mt Bogong
