by Robert Washburn
About 100 town staff and emergency workers from Cobourg participated in training along Cobourg beach and Victoria Park this afternoon.
Shannon Murphy, the town’s emergency planner, organized the major training exercise to find missing people as part of an annual event involving mostly summer staff. This includes the YMCA lifeguards, tourism, marina, and campground workers. The Cobourg police, fire, paramedics and emergency services were also on-hand to assist.
Murphy said the waterfront can be a busy place, especially on a long weekend like Canada Day. It is very easy for children and seniors to become lost or separated from their families at the beach or in the park with all the people and activities.
Murphy said on a big day where there is an event, up to 35 missing people will be reported in a 24-hour period.
If a person goes missing, people are urged to speak to a lifeguard or anyone wearing a town staff t-shirt with the sailboat logo.
