Marine Rescue NSW volunteers across the state have experienced their busiest September on record, with 21 rescues on the Central Coast alone.
Statewide, the service completed 361 rescue missions and returned 782 people to shore last month.
The previous busiest September for the Service was in 2022 with 230 rescue missions.
Of last month’s 361 rescue missions, 103 were emergencies.
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said the spike in rescue missions came after fewer calls for assistance from boaters in August.
“On the back of a recent run of good weather we’ve seen a large number of boaters on the state’s waterways and last month Marine Rescue NSW volunteers responded to their largest amount of rescues since April,” he said.
“On the back of a record year of rescues and assisting boaters in NSW, Marine Rescue has completed its busiest first quarter ever with rescues up 25 per cent on same period last year.”
He urged boaters to log on with Marine Rescue, with many calls for assistance expected over the coming months.
“Marine Rescue NSW knows that simple mechanical issues on the water can develop into life-threatening situations and we ask people using the state’s waterways to enjoy this summer like your life depends on it,” he said.
“Our message to boaters is that it is really important to check the weather, check their vessel, their battery, their safety equipment and make sure that they have enough fuel and some in reserve before they head out on the water.”
Commissioner Barrell said 47 per cent of incidents in September were caused by engine problems while seven per cent of rescue responses were for grounded vessels.
“Engine, battery and fuel issues continue to be a catalyst for rescues but our volunteers also responded to an increased number of groundings in September,” he said.
“Boaters need to be aware of the tides, the environment and the conditions to avoid grounding their vessel and potentially ending up in an emergency situation.”
There were 111 rescues in the Hunter/Central Coast which stretches from the southern end of the Central Coast north to Port Stephens.
Of these, 58 were on Lake Macquarie and 21 were on Central Coast waters.
Source:
Marine Rescue