Volunteer sea rescuers reach southern Lake Saimaa up to 20 minutes faster from new base

Volunteer sea rescuers operating on southern Lake Saimaa in Finland can now reach the lake significantly faster after relocating to a new station, Yle reports. The South Saimaa branch of the Finnish Lifeboat Institution has moved to new premises at Kanavansuuu in Lappeenranta, cutting travel time to the main body of Lake Saimaa by 15 to 20 minutes.

The faster access matters most during urgent callouts. “Most of our tasks are non-urgent, so 15 minutes is not a decisive factor. But we also get emergency alerts where we need to get there quickly,” said Toni Relander, vice chairman and station manager of the South Saimaa branch.

Previously, the association was based near Lappeenranta city centre at the tip of Linnoitusniemi. To reach the open waters of Lake Saimaa, crews had to travel through Kaukaanselkä, a stretch of water in front of the Kaukaa industrial area where speed restrictions slowed their passage.

The new station is located at a former fairway maintenance base previously operated by the company Arctia. The South Karelia Rescue Department has also moved part of its boat operations to the same site and consolidated its oil spill response equipment there.

The two organisations have cooperated before, but sharing a station is a new development. “With a shared base, cooperation will certainly become even closer,” said Juuso Punnonen, rescue chief at the South Karelia Rescue Department.