HistoryHistory
VISAR was formed in 1988, at the request of the BVI Government. Lead by the first president, George Foster, the original responders were members of an organization known as "The Power Squadron". These volunteers, who were from all walks of life and occupations, came together with a shared concern of keeping people safe at sea. Volunteers were trained as rescue Crew and Coordinators and quickly became a para-professional volunteer search and rescue organization known as Virgin Islands Search and Rescue. This set up was modeled after the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, RNLI. During these early days of VISAR, auxiliary vessels were used for rescues. The founders knew that they needed a dedicated boat, so they began fundraising specifically for a vessel.
In 1989 the fundraising efforts of the volunteers paid off and the Spirit of Tortola was commissioned in August. In 1991 land was leased to VISAR by the BVI Government at the Road Reef Marina.
1993 Spirit of Tortola was damaged during a rescue effort in June, and 1994 brought the commissioning of Spirit of Tortola II.
In 1997 Spirit of Tortola II got a home. The Tortola Base Station was built at the Road Reef Marina.
1998 saw the expansion of VISAR to its satellite location on Virgin Gorda and Virgin Gorda commissioned its first boat, Gorda Peak in May of 2000. In 2003 Gorda Peak got a home as a Base Station was built on Virgin Gorda.
In 2006 Spirit of Tortola III was designed, delivered and commissioned. And Spirit II was reassigned to Virgin Gorda and became Gorda Peak II.
In 2008 VISAR Celebrated its 20th Anniversary. It was amazing to look back 20 years and see how far we have come.
2009 saw a great act of community giving as Gorda Peak was decommissioned and shipped to Jamaican Search and Rescue to help them with the start up of their search and rescue organization.