Founder of Foyle Search & Rescue opens new extension in memory of his brother

Billy Garnon helped create the Foyle Search & Rescue charity in 1993 following the death of his brother Cliff. Since then, the organisation has saved hundreds of lives in and around the River Foyle. Bill spoke of his pride at the achievements of the rescue charity as he last week opened a new two-storey extension at its Prehen base which is dedicated to the memory of his brother. Billy and a number of close friends began patrolling the banks of the Foyle in 1993 in search of Cliff after he was seen falling in to the river. Billy said his brother’s death devastated the family, particularly his mother. During the countless hours he spent by the water looking for Cliff, it occurred to him that so many other local families were feeling the same way having lost loved ones to suicide in the River Foyle. He and his late brother’s best friend, Gerry Ballard, and a number of others, Georgie Bamford, Paddy Wilson, Dan Shiels and the late Harry Boyle decided that a river patrol to search for those who had taken their lives and rescue those attempting to could help the community. “When it happened to Cliff, me and a friend of his, Gerry Ballard, walked down by the water to see if we could see him – we don’t it every morning and it just escalated from that,” he said. “We decided to keep going down; it got us out of the house because when we came back to the house my mother would ask how it went then ask when we were going back down again. “We had been out from 7am and by that time it would have been pitch black but she would say, ‘He’s down there on his own’. “That set me off thinking that if it was affecting my mother like this, with the number of people went into the Foyle; I knew there must have been so many other people out there feeling what she was feeling. Even though they might be in the water, it was comforting to know someone was looking for them.” As the days went on, more people joined Billy on the search for his brother and people even came and brought refreshments. It was into the second week into the search for his brother, Cliff, that Billy came up with the rudimentary idea for Foyle Search and Rescue. “The generosity of the people was brilliant,” said Billy. “There was a family there that had lost someone too and they knew what we were doing and thought it was very uplifting. When we were walking down the railway, it just came into my head, what if we did start an organisation and what would we call it; Foyle Search and Rescue just came out. “So, we decided we would meet where we always had a wee drink at the Post Office Club and there were about 12 of us there. “We talked about how we would start it up. We knew what we wanted to do but we just didn’t know how to go about it. We needed money and we needed something to get on the water.” Billy said they collected around local businesses and told them about their idea and got enough money together for a small boat which they used with a lend of a small engine from a friend who enjoyed fishing. “When people got to know what we were doing, they wanted to know more and they wanted to help,” he said. “At the corner of John Street there used to be a public telephone box so we decided that we were going to do Thursday, Friday and Saturday because they would have been busier because of people out drinking, it wasn’t so much drugs at that time but it was still about. “We would have stayed out from 9pm to 3am or sometimes later if there were people still about and we armed ourselves with a couple of pounds worth of 10p pieces in case we had to phone the police or ambulance from the public telephone box. “People started to notice what we were doing and we started getting enquiries and everything started just falling into place. “When we started looking to see what our next step would be people were coming to help us and everything just clicked. That’s how Foyle Search and Rescue began.” Billy said that people began coming forward with help from all areas, including community worker, Martin White, whom he described as ‘an absolute godsend’ and former Mayor and SDLP councillor, Mary Bradley, who put them in touch with The Honourable The Irish Society who gave them the land they would eventually set up their headquarters upon after securing Lottery funding. The British Army also got involved in the charitable venture, helping them clear the ground to set up a riverside base. “People say, ‘Do you realise what you’ve done?’ ” said Billy. “I’ve never, ever looked at it like that and even when I was there to open the new wing, the tears started coming because of the reception people gave me but I have to say, ‘Hold on a minute here, it’s people like you done this, not me.’ “Whether it was Devine providence or whatever, the people fell into place, the funding fell into place, we couldn’t have gotten better architects – everything happened for us across the board. “It was all born out of good faith not knowing what Foyle Search and Rescue would become.” Foyle Search and Rescue went from strength to strength with professional training, counselling courses, better equipment and generous funding from the Derry people. “If you can help stop another mother going through what my mother went through, you would do it too,” he said. “It broke my mother. You would see her saying every night, ‘He’s down there on his own’, and that stuck with me. “There were so many suicides happening that I said if we can save just one that’s what it’s all about but to go to where we are now. It’s just unbelievable.” Billy said it was very emotional to be asked to officially open the new wing named the Clifford Ganon Suite, in memory of his late brother. “When I heard the new extension was going to be named after Cliff, it was fantastic,” he said. “If he hadn’t have went into the river, we wouldn’t have had Foyle Search and Rescue. “What came out of it is incredible. We had people who joined because they had lost someone. We even had people that joined us had been depressed, people that we had taken away from the river, because it helped them and they have their own families now. They wanted to help people because they had been through it and Foyle Search and Rescue gave them that opportunity. “When you look from where we were with our 10p pieces for the telephone box and the radio equipment to where we are now, it’s just unbelievable.” Billy thanked everyone involved in making Foyle Search and Rescue a success, not least, the Derry public. He also noted that the charity united people from both sides of the community. “My faith in the Derry public is amazing,” he said. “I can’t explain it, the people of this town – you couldn’t get better. That’s what has made it such a success. Without the financial backing of the people of Derry it would never have gotten to this stage and we are still surviving on the donations of the public. “We collected in Newbuildings, we collected in Drumahoe, Creggan, Galliagh, Irish Street - everywhere and everybody gave. That’s why I can’t understand why there is any bitterness. Religion doesn’t matter in Foyle Search and Rescue.” He added: “I haven’t stopped thinking about it these last few days, thinking how far Foyle Search and Rescue has come. “Suicide is no longer taboo and a lot of good things have come out of it. “There are so many people that have played a part throughout the years, too many to mention, but it’s all down to them and, of course, the volunteers. “Without them it would never have worked.” Among the new features of the Clifford Garnon Suite are a training room, volunteers room, equipment room, conference room and First Aid treatment area . Stephen Twells, Chairman of FSR, said: “With thanks in no small way to the support of the people of the city, we are delighted to have been able to complete the new extension enabling our volunteers to continue with the charities main aim ‘The preservation of Life’. “The new improvements to our base will enable the continuation of Search and Rescue operations at the highest level for years to come. “Foyle Search & Rescue volunteers would like to thank you, the public, and businesses for your continued support.” An open day will take place early summer 2017 for the public to view the new base.