It’s been a busy year for Marine Rescue NSW, with record rescues since the calendar ticked over into 2023.

Thankfully, August has offered a slight reprieve, with just 223 rescues recorded across the state.

Numbers were down across the Hunter region, too, with Lake Macquarie recording 38 assists, Lemon Tree Passage six and Newcastle three.

Call-outs in and around Lake Macquarie were predominantly for engine problems, followed by flat batteries, with the team of volunteers conducting 27 towns during August, and two jump starts.

What is pleasing is the number of boaters logging their trips prior to setting sail, with Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie recording 441 local log-ins, 137 of them on smartphones.

Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said the reduction in rescue responses during August was testament to boaters doing the right thing on the state’s waterways. 

“The best result would be to have zero rescues but from the August statistics it is clear that boaters across NSW have been planning their voyage, checking the weather, ensuring their vessel is maintained and that they are carrying the appropriate safety equipment,” he explained. 

“It’s wonderful to see that our safe boating messages are being received and acted on.”

While numbers are down, it is less than a fortnight before the official boating season begins on 1 October.

“Marine Rescue NSW is expecting a bumper season on the back of record numbers of boaters enjoying our beautiful state’s waterways,” Commissioner Barrell said. 

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers safely returned 449 people to shore statewide during August. 

10 MAYDAY calls were received last month including a call to the Marine Rescue Sydney State Communications Centre after a sea kayaker hit rocks at the mouth of Malabar Cove off Long Bay. 

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers managed 19,412 radio calls in August while 5,955 boaters Logged On with Marine Rescue NSW. 

Greater Sydney was the busiest region in the state with 75 rescue missions while volunteers on the Hunter Central Coast responded to 70 incidents. 

The Mid-North Coast was the only region to see an increase in rescues from July, up from 22 to 34 last month while 22 were completed in the Illawarra, 15 in the Northern Rivers and seven in the Monaro region. 

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