With just over a month remaining in the boating season, Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell is urging boaters not to become complacent, after engine, battery, and fuel issues accounted for 67 per cent of responses in February.
Image: Volunteers from Marine Rescue Jervis Bay answered the call on February 26 after this vessel suffered engine failure 20kms offshore
“It is concerning that two-thirds of the missions conducted by our volunteers last month were for preventable issues,” said Commissioner Barrell.
“Boaters need to ensure their vessel is in good working order every time they launch and that they have enough fuel on board, with some in reserve.
“Please don’t think for one minute, ‘I’ve got through the season without any issues, it won’t happen to me.’
“Don’t let a preventable issue ruin your day on the water and potentially put your life and others’ lives at risk,” he said.
Image: Marine Rescue Wooli assisted a family of three after running out of fuel off Wooli Beach
Marine Rescue NSW volunteers across the state completed 415 search and rescue missions last month, including 114 emergency responses, safely returning 936 people to shore.
Across the state, Marine Rescue NSW radio operators managed 19,013 radio calls and kept watch over more than 22,500 Logged On vessels.
Commissioner Barrell said boaters should make Logging On part of their pre-launch routine by using the free Marine Rescue NSW app or VHF channel 16.
“Logging On provides details of their trip, and in the event they don’t return as planned, a search can be initiated. Logging On saves precious time in an emergency—it only takes a minute to protect a lifetime,” he said.
Image: Marine Rescue Shoalhaven skipper Mark Dolence returns four boaters to shore after their vessel ran out of fuel on February 1
Of Marine Rescue NSW’s six regions, the Illawarra (Port Kembla to Kioloa) was the only region to experience record demand in February, with volunteers completing 46 search and rescue missions—six more than the previous record set 12 months ago.
The boating season began on 1 October 2024 and finishes on ANZAC Day 2025.
Breakdown of February 2025 search & rescue missions across Marine Rescue NSW regions:
NORTHERN RIVERS – 23 search & rescue missions including 13 emergency responses with 55 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 11, Iluka Yamba 7, Evans Head 2
MID NORTH COAST – 31 search & rescue missions including 17 emergency responses with 65 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:
Forster Tuncurry 11, Coffs Harbour 8, Port Macquarie 7
Image: Marine Rescue Port Stephens secures a capsized vessel which was a navigational hazard on February 15
HUNTER CENTRAL COAST – 118 search & rescue missions including 27 emergency responses with 266 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 50, Central Coast 22, Port Stephens 22
Image: Marine Rescue Botany Port Hacking volunteers assisted two kayakers after their craft capsized off Lilli Pilli Point on February 9
GREATER SYDNEY – 171 search & rescue missions including 22 emergency responses with 411 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 55, Botany Port Hacking 39, Middle Harbour 19, Port Jackson 19
Image: Rescue watercraft operators from Marine Rescue Sussex Inlet assisted two sailors on St Georges Basin in early February
ILLAWARRA **FEBRUARY REGION RECORD** – 46 search & rescue missions including 21 emergency responses with 89 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:
Jervis Bay 15, Port Kembla 11, Shoalhaven 8
MONARO – 26 search & rescue missions including 14 emergency response with 50 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 12, Narooma 9, Merimbula 4
One of the largest real-time multi-agency search and rescue exercises (SAREX) to ever be held on the NSW coast has been labelled a success by Marine Rescue NSW. 65 Marine Rescue NSW volunteers took...
A volunteer crew from Marine Rescue Newcastle navigated darkness and a fast-flowing run-out tide overnight to rescue a stranded sailor four nautical miles (7.4 km) south of Nobbys Head. Marine Rescue...
