10/12/2025
Wayne Mitchell Memorial Trophy
28 August 1953 – 8 November 2010
Wayne was a dedicated and active member of Flotilla 1, Frankston, Victoria. He joined the Flotilla in 1977 and quickly progressed through the Ratings of Seamanship. Within two years he attained the rank of Coxswain and was appointed Skipper of the Flotilla’s rescue vessel, CG01.
During the 1970s Flotilla 1 enhanced its search and rescue capability with the establishment of a diving unit, and Wayne became the Diving Section Leader. His skill and leadership in both roles—coxswain and diver—were central to the Flotilla’s search and rescue operations.
A testament to Wayne’s courage occurred in the early 1980s when he was called to assist a woman trapped inside the cabin of a capsized boat. Without hesitation, and at significant risk to his own life, Wayne entered the water and made his way into the overturned cabin. He found the woman breathing in a small air pocket of barely 300 mm, and guided her safely to the surface. She was then transported ashore and taken to hospital. His actions that day epitomised the highest standards of marine rescue service.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the boating community, Wayne was awarded Australian Boatman of the Year in 1985—an honour befitting a man whose service consistently went beyond the call.
“For decades he stood watch, ready to answer the call for those in peril on the sea. Calm in the storm and steady at the helm, he gave his talents and his heart to the lifesaving service he loved.
His legacy will live on in every life he helped bring safely home.
And for those members that demonstrate outstanding achievement in the field of search and rescue, they’ll have the honour of becoming the recipient of the ‘Wayne Mitchell Memorial Trophy’.
