A new defibrillator has been donated to PointSAR Marine Rescue in memory of firefighter Gary Kendall, thanks to support from the Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 62.
A life-saving defibrillator has been donated to PointSAR Marine Rescue in Sarnia in memory of Gary Kendall, a firefighter with Point Edward Fire & Rescue who died in the line of duty.
The new equipment was presented on Monday, May 26 at Bridgeview Marina, made possible by the Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund and a donation from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 62 in Sarnia. Members of the Ontario Provincial Police Marine Unit, Point Edward Fire and Rescue, the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Kendall family were in attendance.
Greg Grimes, Unit Leader of PointSAR, said the donation supports the group's mission of protecting boaters on local waterways.
“Our volunteers are dedicated to saving lives on the water through search and rescue taskings and boater education safety,” Grimes said. “We approached the Royal Canadian Legion to fund a replacement defibrillator, and they contacted the Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund to make this possible.”
The Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund, founded in 2009, honours first responders who have died in the line of duty by donating defibrillators to community organizations across Ontario. The fund has made previous contributions in Sarnia, including a 2023 donation in memory of OPP Const. Christine Van De Vorst.
The memorial fund is named after Dave Mounsey, a former Royal Air Force veteran, Corrections Officer, and Ontario Provincial Police officer. Mounsey died in 2006 from injuries sustained while responding to a vehicle rollover on icy roads. He had also served as a volunteer firefighter, and the fund was created to honour his commitment to public service.
“The Legion honours fallen military and serves veterans. Supporting the memorial fund and recognizing the contributions of firefighter Kendall was a natural for the Legion,” said Branch 62 President Les Jones.
Norm Hansen, Chair of the PointSAR board, said the team is proud to carry on that legacy.
“Our team of volunteers share many elements of the vision statement of the memorial fund and are proud of the work they do to make the boating community safer,” he said.
The defibrillator will be deployed aboard PointSAR’s rescue vessel to support emergency response efforts on the water.
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