Marine Rescue NSW volunteers responded to hundreds of boaters in need of assistance on the state’s waterways in September, with crews completing 291 search and rescue missions, including 90 emergency responses.
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said 546 people were safely returned to shore following a variety of incidents.
“Our crews responded to a variety of calls for assistance, including offshore medical evacuations, capsizes, groundings, and vessels that succumbed to mechanical failure or ran out of fuel.
“Users of the state’s waterways can rest assured that our highly skilled and dedicated volunteers are rescue-ready 24/7 but we ask all boaters to make sure their vessel is in good working order and they have the correct safety equipment on board,” he said.
The Northern Rivers (Point Danger, Brunswick, Cape Byron, Ballina, Evans Head, Iluka Yamba & Wooli) and Mid North Coast (Woolgoolga, Coffs Harbour, Nambucca, Trial Bay, Lord Howe Island, Port Macquarie, Camden Haven, Crowdy Harrington & Forster Tuncurry) regions both had their busiest September on record.
Volunteers in Marine Rescue NSW’s Northern Rivers region completed 32 search and rescue missions, while crews on the Mid North Coast responded to 39 incidents.
Marine Rescue NSW volunteers across the state kept watch over 20,730 people on Logged On vessels in September, with radio operators managing 16,129 calls, including seven MAYDAYs and five PAN PANs.
“Our radio operators provide the vital link between the land and the sea and are often the first voice a boater in distress hears,” Commissioner Barrell said.
“We ask all boaters to ensure their VHF radio is in good working order and to always Log On and Off with Marine Rescue NSW, either via VHF channel 16 or the free Marine Rescue NSW app.
“Logging On ensures our volunteers keep watch for a boater’s safe return and saves vital time in the event of an emergency,” he said.
Marine Rescue Brunswick performed a medical evacuation off Cape Byron. Photo: Supplied
Breakdown of September 2024 search & rescue missions across Marine Rescue NSW regions:
GREATER SYDNEY – 109 search & rescue missions including 14 emergency responses with 247 people safely returned to shore across all 7 Greater Sydney units – Hawkesbury, Cottage Point, Broken Bay, Sydney – State Communications Centre, Middle Harbour, Port Jackson & Botany Port Hacking.
Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Sydney State Communications Centre 34, Botany Port Hacking 21, Middle Harbour 16, Hawkesbury 14
NORTHERN RIVERS **Busiest September on record** – 32 search & rescue missions including 14 emergency responses with 70 people safely returned to shore across all 7 Northern Rivers units – Point Danger, Brunswick, Cape Byron, Ballina, Evans Head, Iluka Yamba & Wooli.
Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Point Danger 15, Ballina 7, Iluka Yamba 5
MID NORTH COAST **Busiest September on record** – 39 search & rescue missions including 24 emergency responses with 57 people safely returned to shore across all 9 Mid North Coast units – Woolgoolga, Coffs Harbour, Nambucca, Trial Bay, Lord Howe Island, Port Macquarie, Camden Haven, Crowdy Harrington & Forster Tuncurry.
Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Port Macquarie 12, Coffs Harbour 9, Trial Bay 6
HUNTER/CENTRAL COAST – 78 search & rescue missions including 21 emergency responses with 121 people safely returned to shore across all 8 Hunter/Central Coast units – Port Stephens, Lemon Tree Passage, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Norah Head, Tuggerah Lakes, Central Coast & Terrigal.
Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Lake Macquarie 35, Port Stephens 17, Lemon Tree Passage 7, Central Coast 7
ILLAWARRA – 21 search & rescue missions including 11 emergency responses with 33 people safely returned to shore across all 7 Illawarra units – Port Kembla, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Jervis Bay, Sussex Inlet, Ulladulla & Kioloa.
Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Port Kembla 7, Jervis Bay 5, Sussex Inlet 3, Shoalhaven 3
MONARO – 12 search & rescue missions including 6 emergency responses with 18 people safely returned to shore across all 8 Monaro units – Batemans Bay, Tuross Moruya, Narooma, Bermagui, Merimbula, Eden, Alpine Lakes & Moama.
Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Batemans Bay 7, Eden 2, Narooma 1, Bermagui 1, Merimbula 1
Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.
Marine Rescue Trial Bay assisted a fisherman whose vessel collided with a whale on the Mid North Coast. Photo: Supplied