Record summer workload on tragic coastline

Crews launch 1,600 missions as more people than ever take a boating holiday.

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers set new operational records over summer, responding to a fiveyear seasonal peak in the number of emergencies, including a series of fatalities along the coastline.

Predictions that foreign and interstate COVID travel restrictions would result in a bumper summer on the water were borne out as more people than ever took a NSW boating holiday.

Emergency services, including MRNSW crews, responded to nine fatalities on our coastal waterways, including seven men swept off rocks at Port Kembla, Coffs Harbour and South West Rocks, a missing snorkeller on the Far South Coast and a man who who died when he fell overboard from his yacht on Lake Macquarie.

Commissioner Stacey Tannos said that as forecast, a COVIDdriven surge in demand for MRNSW services had outstripped other recent peak holiday periods.

“This was a hectic summer for our volunteers, particularly in the Hunter/Central Coast, Greater Sydney and Monaro regions, where there was a constant stream of boaters calling for our help,” he said.

“Variable weather and poor boating conditions in the north of the state saw less consistent activity in those regions but tragically, large swells and rough seas on the Mid North Coast contributed to two of the fatalities to which our crews responded, at Coffs Harbour and Trial Bay.”

Heavy demand saw our crews launch a total of 1,579 rescue missions from the start of December to the end of February - up 67 per cent from 947 last year and 27 per cent higher than the five-year peak over the 2016-2017 summer.

Twenty-six per cent of this season’s operations - 403 - were in response to life-endangering emergencies, in line with the fiveyear trend, which hit 28 per cent in 2017-2018. These included 34 Mayday responses. Ninety boats were grounded and 60 capsized.

In all, 3,900 people, including 504 children, along with 38 pets, were returned safely to shore.

Our radio operators kept a safety watch over more than 77,000 people on board almost 22,000 boats that Logged On over the three months - up from 19,600 vessels last summer. Boats Logging On were among 69,640 radio calls handled by our radio specialists, who also provided regular weather updates and warnings, radio checks for boaters and a range of other safety information.

MRNSW crews joined coordinated searches in response to a string of fatalities in which people were washed into the ocean from rocks at Coffs Harbour, South West Rocks and Port Kembla, as well as a snorkeller who failed to return from the water north of Batemans Bay.

At least another 30 people were thrown into the water in a range of incidents, including a kayaker south of Ulladulla, four men left clinging to eskies off Broughton Island near Port Stephens and boats that overturned crossing coastal bars at Narooma, Evans Head and Nambucca. MR Tuggerah Lakes reported an alarming increase in the number of people in the water, with 12 overboard in six incidents.

In another reminder of the importance of vessel maintenance and safety checks, particularly before the start of the peak season, 61 per cent of incidents were sparked by engine failures (651) flat batteries (180) or fuel problems (135), including a number of boaters who simply ran out of fuel.

Commissioner Tannos thanked each of the volunteers who had kept watch over the airwaves and responded day and night to rescue

Coffs 30 searches around the Coffs Harbour southern breakwall after a 20-year-old man was washed into the sea on January 21. Photo: Frank Redward Photo Video.

those in trouble on the water, as well as all those who had provided valuable support to the frontline.

“Boaters know that they can rely on our volunteers to help when they need it,” he said.

“They know our radio operators are keeping watch for their safe return to shore and monitoring the airwaves for distress calls. And they know our crews will head on to the water around the clock, frequently in hazardous conditions, because they will not leave someone out there in trouble on the water.

“Our community owes all our volunteers a great debt of gratitude for their commitment and service.”