Remaining Undiluted in Its Mission

Coffee Bluff Marine Rescue Squad has answered the call for more than six decades

By Stephen Prudhomme

For 66 years, the Coffee Bluff Marine Rescue Squad has answered the call on intercoastal waterways from Butterbean Beach to Ogeechee Cove. Volunteer members have helped individuals who were lost, ran out of gas with their boats, and in some of the most difficult and challenging cases, recovered drowning victims.

The names have changed over the years, but the commitment to serve remains as strong—frequently fueled by family tradition, a love of the water, and a desire to help those in distress.

The Coffee Bluff Squadron serves under the Coast Guard and Chatham County Marine Patrol and is one of six in Georgia and South Carolina. It has 30 active members, 25 of whom have boats they can use on rescue calls.

A Family Legacy of Service

Denis Robertson has been a member for 30 years, but he's been connected to the squadron for his entire life. Since he lives near the squadron building, Robertson doesn't have far to go when his services are needed.

"I do it because it's the right thing to do," Robertson said. "I come from a long line of military. I'm doing something not everyone can do."

Although Robertson's father wasn't a member of the squadron, his son said he knew some of the original members from all the times they came to rescue the elder Robertson when he ran into various problems while out on his "raggedy boat."

Robertson said his mother would call the squadron when her husband didn't come home by a certain time. "They got him several times," Robertson said. "I've known some of the members since I've been a child."

Origins of Service

Coffee Bluff has operated since 1959 and is the second oldest of the six squadrons in Georgia and South Carolina. Tybee is the oldest squadron, dating back to the late 1950s.

When two teenage boys went to Little Tybee Island to go camping and a storm was headed their way, concerned parents took two boats to the island to rescue the teens. That provided the impetus for Tybee Island Police Chief David McCutchen and a group of island residents to establish a marine rescue squad in January 1959; the rescue of the teenage boys on Little Tybee Island had highlighted the need for a rescue squad given that the Coast Guard, with its larger vessels, could not provide assistance in all cases.

Later that year, a local lawyer who owned property on Coffee Bluff donated half of it to the city, which subsequently developed a park. The other half was designated as a site for a rescue squadron.

With the land secured, a group of men who were coworkers of the Tybee Squadron members at either Union Camp or BellSouth Telephone Company went about constructing the squadron building. They were Tony Strozzo, Tom Cooler, Jake Stanley, Bud Warren, Dub Phillips, Mike Love, Bob Parrish, and Harold Fountain. Calling on the experience of builders and masons in the fledgling squadron, they constructed the building that serves as its headquarters and features a floating dock.

Decades of Dedication

Joe Kreger is the third oldest member of the Coffee Bluff Squadron. Living in Rose Dhu, a community of some 50 homes, the 80-year-old joined in 1978.

"I enjoy the camaraderie and the guys," said Kreger, who doesn't own a boat anymore but goes out on calls to help satisfy the requirement of having two squadron members onboard. "We've known each other for many years. We're good friends. It's a good organization."

Kreger said he joined the group because he had a boat and wanted to help out. Calls would take an average of five to six hours, he noted. Nowadays, with cellphones, the average time is two hours.

What hasn't changed is the squadron's ability to navigate waterways with which the Coast Guard isn't as familiar. "The Coast Guard doesn't know the ins and outs of the marshes," Kreger said. "We're able to navigate at night. They take care of the ocean and we tend to everything else."

Beyond the Waterways

The Coffee Bluff Squadron occasionally goes beyond the usual waterways to render assistance. Kreger said 15 to 20 squadron members have gone to Ossabaw Island following storms to remove downed limbs. They'll even take to dry land, sending crews by trucks to Charleston with relief supplies and to help clean up in the aftermath of hurricanes. That spirit of altruism extends to the squadron brotherhood.

"You help each other out on and off the river," Kreger said. "It's a good feeling."

Honoring Our Veterans

Kreger, Robertson, and their fellow squadron members also get a good feeling when they hold an annual fishing day and fish fry for 20 soldiers with long-term injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield in April. Held for the past four years, Take a Veteran Fishing allows these veterans to try and hook the big one and enjoy their catch as the featured entrée.

"It's a big deal for us, and they really enjoy it," Robertson said. "It's low key. We don't publicize it or do any advertising. They get away for a day. A lot of them have never been in saltwater or fished. They like getting away from everything. It's neat to talk to these folks."

Community Support

Speaking of food, the squadron holds an annual barbecue dinner fundraiser in April. Held at the group's facility located at the end of White Bluff Road on the Forest River, the event sells over 2,500 dinners of pork, coleslaw, Brunswick stew, and a roll; members cook over 2,700 pounds of pork.

"We don't charge for our services," Kreger said. "The barbecue pays for our property."

A Lifetime of Service

Another longtime member is Ronnie Hinley, 75, who has homes in Savannah and Effingham County. He joined in 1985, following his father, an original member, and a number of friends and acquaintances. Hinley said he's made lifelong friends and enjoys the challenge of being a squadron member. Responding to many calls over four decades, one remains especially memorable.

Hinley and one of his sons went on a call with the Coast Guard and encountered radio communication problems. "The Coast Guard helicopter was hovering above our boat," Hinley recalled. "The Coast Guardsman was on the helicopter skids, and we were shouting at one another. That was interesting."

Then there are the calls squadron members dread but recognize as part of the job. As a longtime member, Hinley, not surprisingly, has helped in the recovery of a number of drowning victims. "Those are somber events," he said.

Hinley has answered the service call for much of his life, starting as a volunteer for the Southside Fire Department when he was 14 years old and continuing as a member of the Air Force during two tours in the Vietnam War. Joining the squadron allowed him to continue to help others as a member of a team.

"I like the volunteer stuff," Hinley said. "We have good, hardworking people who get involved. You get called all hours of the night. You just get up and go."

Hinley is a life member in more ways than one. Being a longtime member, he was awarded that designation. Then there's his decision to remain with the squadron "until he's not alive anymore." Hinley adds, "They'll put my ashes in a can and throw them in the river."

The Most Difficult Calls

The most difficult calls for the squadron are recovering drowning victims. These include the victims of boat mishaps, plane crashes, and other incidents. For Robertson, one of these calls involved a family member. His first cousin, Ed Gross, drowned near Green Island in Ossabaw Sound in 2010 after his boat broke loose from the beach.

"I was happy to help recover his body for his mom," Robertson said. "I hated that it was my cousin."

Rescuing children is not as emotionally trying for Robertson. "When kids are involved you want to get there quick," he said. "It's very rewarding when you can rescue them."

A Natural Fit

It was almost inevitable that Robertson found a home with the squadron. Along with his father being rescued several times, he grew up a mile from the squadron building, worked as a commercial fisherman for many years, and lives on the river. During his 30 years, Robertson has served as skipper, secretary, and beach master, the latter making him the first point of contact for the Coast Guard and local law enforcement; his wife, Teri, coordinates the disabled veterans fishing event and serves as communications officer for Marine Rescue Squad National.

"It's a natural fit," Robertson said. "It's fun to do it. Occasionally it will get serious. I can call on these folks for anything at anytime. When the chips are down, they're right there."