Marine Rescue NSW volunteers on board Port Kembla 31 and Shellharbour 30 have been stood down for the day after assisting Marine Area Command in the multi-agency search for a missing swimmer off Fairy Meadow.
Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Stuart Massey said the crews on board PK 31 and SH 30 spent almost 7 hours searching for the missing swimmer after being deployed just before 8am today.
“Marine Rescue had two rescue vessels out there today from Port Kembla and Shellharbour.
“We covered an area from East Corrimal down to the Five Islands and we covered an area of approximately 21 square nautical miles.
“The conditions out there today were quite choppy, different swells coming in from different directions, making it quite difficult for the crews,” he said.
Inspector Massey said both Marine Rescue NSW crews used sophisticated electronic equipment on the rescue vessels to aid with the search.
“One of the things we use is sonar.
“It does give us a view of the ocean floor and what we’re looking for there are any anomalies,” he said.
Marine Rescue NSW vessels and crew from Port Kembla and Shellharbour will again take part in the search tomorrow.
“We’ll work alongside Water Police and we’ll search under their direction in designated areas that they’ve determined,” Inspector Massey said.
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