Marine Rescue NSW volunteers across the state completed 293 search and rescue missions in November, including 88 emergency responses.
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said 69% of missions in November were for mechanical or fuel issues which can quickly become life-threatening if a vessel runs aground or overturns.
“Unfortunately, what we’ve seen during November is that far too many boaters are getting into difficulty for what we class as avoidable incidents, things like running out of fuel and flat batteries and that’s really disappointing from our side of things,” Commissioner Barrell said.
With large numbers expected to hit NSW waterways this holiday season, Commissioner Barrell is pleading with boaters to ensure their vessel and safety equipment is in good working order.
“Marine Rescue New South Wales is urging all boaters before they head out on the water to make sure that they check their equipment, make sure that they’ve got enough fuel for their voyage and importantly, they Log On with their local Marine Rescue base,” he said.
Almost 10% of responses by Marine Rescue NSW volunteers last month were for capsized or grounded vessels while 11 missing persons searches were conducted.
Marine Rescue NSW Radio Operators managed 16,736 calls in November including six MAYDAYs and two PAN PANs.
There were 4,699 Log Ons last month which was up on October with Marine Rescue NSW volunteers keeping watch over more than 17,700 people on board those Logged On vessels.
Commissioner Barrell was pleased to see growth in the number of people Logging On with the Service.
“We’re urging boaters and paddlers alike to Log On with Marine Rescue NSW before they head out on the water.
“We know that it saves vital minutes in the time of need and we know that if you don’t return as planned that we’ll come looking for you,” he said.
Commissioner Barrell said boaters and paddlers can Log On with Marine Rescue NSW either via the free Marine Rescue app or VHF Marine Channel 16.
“It’s a minute to log on with Marine Rescue, a lifetime to protect and we urge all boaters to boat this summer like your life depends on it,” the Commissioner said.
Marine Rescue NSW Breakdown of search & rescue numbers by Region – November 2023
Northern Rivers – 18 search & rescue missions (across all 7 Northern Rivers units)
Locations of highest demand: Point Danger 8, Ballina 5, Wooli 2, Iluka Yamba 2
Mid North Coast – 26 search & rescue missions (across all 9 Mid North Coast units)
Locations of highest demand: Port Macquarie 9, Forster/Tuncurry 9, Coffs Harbour 4
Hunter/Central Coast – 99 search & rescue missions (across all 8 Hunter/Central Coast units)
Locations of highest demand: Lake Macquarie 38, Central Coast 19, Port Stephens 16
Greater Sydney – 98 search & rescue missions (across all 7 Greater Sydney units)
Locations of highest demand: Port Jackson 22, Botany Port Hacking 22, Sydney (State Communications Centre) 21
Illawarra – 33 search & rescue missions (across all 7 Illawarra units)
Locations of highest demand: Port Kembla 15, Shoalhaven 7, Jervis Bay 4, Ulladulla 3
- Note: Marine Rescue Port Kembla has now broken the unit record for search and rescue missions in a calendar year with 152 missions including 101 emergencies in just 11 months. During this period, the Port Kembla unit has safely returned 307 people to shore. The previous unit record was 150 in 2021 where 254 people were safely returned to shore.
Monaro – 19 search & rescue missions (across all 8 Monaro units)
Locations of highest demand: Batemans Bay 7, Tuross Moruya 4, Merimbula 4
Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.
