SES members Daniel and Richard Outten at the night-time flood rescue training at Bonnie Vale. Picture supplied

Father and son Richard and Daniel Outten were among SES Sutherland Shire volunteers who took part in challenging night-time flood rescue training at Bonnie Vale this month.

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Swift water training is a regular occurrence for a specialist group from SES Sutherland Shire Cluster.

"We have a range of members from flood awareness trained to in-water operators, so it's an opportunity to build capability in the cluster but also share our knowledge with other members and get them interested in flood rescue," Daniel Outten said.

SES members take part night-time flood rescue training at Bonnie Vale. Picture supplied

Daniel became a member of the Sutton unit, near Canberra, in 2021, before moving back to the Shire and joining the Sutherland Unit two years ago.

"Dad had applied for the Heathcote Unit after he retired, so I decided to join the Sutton Unit to build a community. I ended up falling in love with the SES mission and what we do," Mr Outten said.

SES members take part night-time flood rescue training at Bonnie Vale. Picture supplied

"When I moved back to the Shire, I had the opportunity to go and volunteer with my dad. We both learn from each other based on the experiences we bring to the service and it's great to be able to share that with my old man."

Richard Outten said it was rewarding to share the same passion for community work with his son.

"I'm a storm team leader and an on-water operator, whereas Daniel is a level three in-water technician. It's great to be able to learn new techniques from him and see how they're being taught," Mr Outten said.

"It's a proud moment to see how he has taken on the mantle and taking on all the training."

Monday night's training follows another exercise at Bonnie Vale the previous weekend, when 20 NSW SES members from across Greater Sydney honed their on-water flood rescue skills.

SES members take part night-time flood rescue training at Bonnie Vale. Picture supplied

NSW SES Sutherland Shire Local Commander John Gonzalez said the training exercises put volunteers through their paces to practise improvised launch and recovery, navigating in swift water, inflatable hose rescues and a two-point boat tether and rescue from a raft in swift water.

"The fast-flowing waters at Bonnie Vale mirror the environment and natural hazards that our volunteers face in real life flood emergencies," Mr Gonzalez said.

"Completing this training in the dark prepares our operators for any scenario they may face."

Anyone interested in volunteering with the Sutherland Shire SES as a Flood Rescue Operator, Storm Operator or Land Search Operator can contact their local Unit or visit: ses.nsw.gov.au/volunteer