Marine rescues peak in NSW despite severe weather, tsunami
Boaters have braved NSW’s wet and wild weather this season, but plenty have needed helpMarine Rescue NSW has recorded its second-highest 12-month period for rescues despite the state recording record rainfalls, extensive flooding and even a tsunami warning that kept many boaters onshore.
One in three of the 3905 rescues conducted in the 12-month period was for “life-threatening situations”, many of them in what was described as “the worst of weather and sea conditions and at the dead of night”.
Those rescues resulted in 8599 people returning to shore safely.
Key points:
- Boat maintenance and safety checks are essential before heading out
- Correct care of batteries and fresh fuel will save a lot of trouble out on the water
- Most calls for assistance are made on weekends, and in the afternoons
Once again, though, the numbers show that boaters need to do a few small but important checks before taking to the water.
One of the key findings from all the rescues performed was the need for boaters to check their batteries to ensure the power banks are up to the task of restarting the engine.
This, combined with running out of fuel or engines that refused to work as intended accounted for around three in every five call-outs for assistance.
It’s probably not a surprise to learn that most calls for help came in on weekends – particularly Sundays – compared with weekdays, but in a strong sign that boaters were being caught out, 40 per cent of the distress calls came between noon and 3pm when boaters either tried to return to shore, or were caught in weather.
Related content:
Of the more than 223,000 radio calls received over the 12 months surveyed, 73 were mayday calls, 47 were pan pan calls, and 14 reported sightings of distress flares.
The number of marine rescues in NSW spiked in 2021 as more boaters took to the water in response to severe travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, a wet summer that brought with it record rainfall and widespread flooding kept more boaters onshore over the last 12 months, helping to soften the number of boaters taking to the water during the busiest times on the water.
NSW Marine Rescue volunteers helped boaters out with 247 groundings, 146 capsizes, and 23 medical emergencies.
Of the assistance given, three out of every five call-outs related to fishing or cruising boats, with slightly less than one in 10 callouts from sailboats seeking assistance.
Marine rescue NSW said the latest figures were a warning to boaters to follow safety advice, wear lifejackets and check weather conditions before heading out on the water.
On a final note, more than 65,000 boat trips were logged with their local Marine Rescue NSW base over the survey period, allowing the service to locate them much more quickly in an emergency.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
