Marine Rescue NSW volunteers across the state completed 293 search and rescue missions in November, including 88 emergency responses.
There were 33 search and rescue missions across all seven Illawarra units with Port Kembla responding to 15, Shoalhaven 7, Jervis Bay 4 and Ulladulla 3
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said 69% of missions in November were for mechanical or fuel issues which can quickly become life-threatening if a vessel runs aground or overturns.
“Unfortunately, what we’ve seen during November is that far too many boaters are getting into difficulty for what we class as avoidable incidents, things like running out of fuel and flat batteries and that’s really disappointing from our side of things,” Commissioner Barrell said.
With large numbers expected to hit NSW waterways this holiday season, Commissioner Barrell is pleading with boaters to ensure their vessel and safety equipment is in good working order.
