Article content Cara Cripton-Inglis, coxswain, prepares to untie the fast rescue craft at HMCS Queen Charlotte in Charlottetown on July 16. Photo by Dave Stewart /The GuardianArticle contentLove of the waterArticle contentAbbie Davis, a deckhand, and a student at the University of Guelph in Ontario, said she is fairly new to the world of boating.Article content“I always wanted that connection to eastern Canada and to move out here,” Davis said. “I felt a strong connection to the communities out east so that was what initially drew me to the position.”Article contentDavis said the training is amazing and the chance to work on Canadian waters is something she has dreamed about.Article contentA former lifeguard, Davis already brought life-saving techniques to the job and wanted a summer job to help keep people safe on the water.Article contentJohn Roberts, a deckhand and a student at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., knows well the waters where he is doing the training.Article content“I grew up in Charlottetown and in sailing,” Roberts said.Article content“My dad sailed and my grandfather sailed and I was growing up on an island. I also swim for my school. When I found out about this program it was a rather unique meshing of the water that I loved so much but also being able to help people.”Article contentArticle content Abbie Davis, left, a deckhand with the Canadian Coast Guard performs a radio check as part of her duties aboard the fast rescue craft, a Canadian Coast Guard inshore rescue boat student program at HMCS Queen Charlotte in Charlottetown. With her is Cara Cripton-Inglis, coxswain. Photo by Dave Stewart /The GuardianArticle contentFirst respondersArticle contentRoberts said it may be a summer job but he and his fellow students are also trained to respond to situations where people are having the worst day of their lives.Article content“To be able to show up and be a calming presence but qualified to help is a pretty unique way to help.”Article contentArticle content“To be able to show up and be a calming presence but qualified to help is a pretty unique way to help.” — John Roberts, deckhandArticle contentArticle contentThe students are tasked with daily patrols of the harbour and strait and run a series of drills all the time to keep their skills sharp. The group also takes part in any search and rescues that occur in their coverage area.Article content“We are a small piece of the search and rescue puzzle,” Roberts said, explaining that search and rescue is a year-round effort in the region. “We exist to alleviate some of the pressure on that search and rescue effort in the summer. So far, it’s been a very quiet summer.”Article content Students from across Canada apply for positions in the Canadian Coast Guard’s inshore rescue boat program in Atlantic Canada. The program includes one at HMCS Queen Charlotte in Charlottetown. From left, are Abbie Davis, deckhand; Cara Cripton-Inglis, coxswain; and John Roberts, deckhand. Photo by Dave Stewart /The GuardianArticle contentTransferable skillsArticle contentThere are a total of 56 post-secondary students in Atlantic Canada and the Charlottetown bunch is part of a crew of six who rotate shifts.Article contentArticle contentCripton-Inglis said the summer job has inspired her to sail south to the Caribbean in a 30-foot boat when she is done.Article content“This job has made me feel that I am capable of doing something,” Cripton-Inglis said.Article contentDavis said the skills she has learned will be transferable in whatever lies ahead. She has learned teamwork, communication and learning how to navigate through complex situations.Article contentRoberts plans on taking the skills he is developing and has applied to UPEI’s new medical school.Article content“This summer job has been a really interesting opportunity,” Roberts said. “We are the first responders, the people that show up. This job has really opened my eyes to appreciate how inshore search and rescue weaves in with fire and police.”Article contentArticle contentArticle contentCoast Guard student jobsArticle contentHow to apply for a job in the 2026 Canadian Coast Guard’s inshore rescue boat student program:
Coast guard inshore rescue boat program inspires students on P.E.I. waters
