Cooler weather no barrier as boaters keep Marine Rescue NSW crews busy in July

by Marine Rescue NSW 13 Aug 13:59 PDT

Marine Rescue NSW crews across Greater Sydney safely returned 150 people to shore in July © Marine Rescue NSW

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers completed 237 search and rescue missions in July, including 82 emergency responses, safely returning 450 people to shore.

"The cooler weather didn't deter boaters from heading out on the water, with Marine Rescue NSW crews on the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast in high demand — both regions experiencing their busiest July on record," said Commissioner Alex Barrell.

"Demand for assistance was also high across Greater Sydney, with volunteer crews safely returning 150 people to shore last month."

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers are ready to respond 24-7 - photo © Marine Rescue NSW

Thirty-eight per cent of incidents statewide were due to engine failure, which Commissioner Barrell said was too high.

"Engine issues can lead to life-threatening incidents. They are preventable, and boaters are encouraged to ensure their vessels are well maintained and in good working order every time they head out on the water," he said.

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers on the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast experienced their busiest July on record - photo © Marine Rescue NSW

Marine Rescue NSW radio operators received almost 20,000 calls last month, with the majority managed by the Marine Rescue Sydney State Communications Centre and Marine Rescue Port Macquarie. Volunteer radio operators also kept watch over 27,192 people on board more than 6,000 Logged On vessels.

"It only takes a minute to Log On and protect a lifetime," Commissioner Barrell said.

"Logging On via the free Marine Rescue NSW app or VHF Channel 16 ensures our dedicated radio operators keep watch for the safe return or arrival of boaters.

"It is vitally important that boaters also enable the position update option when using the app — doing so means our rescue crews can respond faster and with improved accuracy, which could save your life," he said.

Marine Rescue NSW app log on - photo © Marine Rescue NSW

Breakdown of July 2025 search & rescue missions across Marine Rescue NSW regions:

Northern Rivers - **region record** 29 search & rescue missions including 18 emergency responses with 67 people safely returned to shore across all 7 Northern Rivers units - Point Danger, Brunswick, Cape Byron, Ballina, Evans Head, Iluka Yamba & Wooli.

Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Point Danger 14, Ballina 4, Brunswick 3

Mid North Coast - **region record** 24 search & rescue missions including 13 emergency responses with 48 people safely returned to shore across all 9 Mid North Coast units - Woolgoolga, Coffs Harbour, Nambucca, Trial Bay, Lord Howe Island, Port Macquarie, Camden Haven, Crowdy Harrington & Forster Tuncurry.

Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Coffs Harbour 8, Port Macquarie 6, Trial Bay 3, Forster Tuncurry 3

Hunter Central Coast - 71 search & rescue missions including 13 emergency responses with 109 people safely returned to shore across all 8 Hunter Central Coast units - Port Stephens, Lemon Tree Passage, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Norah Head, Tuggerah Lakes, Brisbane Water & Terrigal.

Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Lake Macquarie 33, Port Stephens 14, Brisbane Water 8

Greater Sydney - 77 search & rescue missions including 15 emergency responses with 150 people safely returned to shore across all 7 Greater Sydney units - Hawkesbury, Cottage Point, Broken Bay, Sydney - State Communications Centre, Middle Harbour, Port Jackson & Botany Port Hacking.

Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Sydney State Communications Centre 21, Botany Port Hacking 19, Middle Harbour 16

Illawarra - 21 search & rescue missions including 10 emergency responses with 49 people safely returned to shore across all 7 Illawarra units - Port Kembla, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Jervis Bay, Sussex Inlet, Ulladulla & Kioloa.

Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Port Kembla 7, Jervis Bay 6, Shoalhaven 4

Monaro - 15 search & rescue missions including 13 emergency response with 27 people safely returned to shore across all 8 Monaro units - Batemans Bay, Tuross Moruya, Narooma, Bermagui, Merimbula, Eden, Alpine Lakes & Moama.

Number of search and rescue missions in locations of highest demand: Batemans Bay 6, Merimbula 4, Eden 2, Narooma 2