The funeral service for Marine Rescue Ballina volunteer William ‘Bill’ Ewen was held on Monday at Ballina RSL Club.

Yesterday, volunteers from Marine Rescue Ballina held a private ceremony on the shore of South Ballina Beach to honour fellow unit members Frank Petsch and Bill Ewen, who lost their lives during a rescue mission response on Monday 4 May, 2026.

Since the tragic dual helicopter accident near Seaworld recently, there has been an outpouring of grief on social media. One of the people who lost his life in the crash was Seaworld pilot Ash 'Jenko' Jenkinson, who is warmly remembered by people in the Ballina area for his heroic role during the Northern Rivers flood emergency in February 2022.