Busy start to season for Marine Rescue volunteers

MARINE Rescue NSW volunteers across the Mid North Coast have experienced their busiest start to a boating season on record, with 33 search and rescue missions including 19 emergency responses during October.

A total of 56 people were safely returned to shore last month across all nine Mid North Coast units – Woolgoolga, Coffs Harbour, Nambucca, Trial Bay, Lord Howe Island, Port Macquarie, Camden Haven, Crowdy Harrington and Forster Tuncurry.

Forster Tuncurry recorded the highest number of search and rescue missions with 14, with Port Macquarie, Trial Bay and Crowdy Harrington all recording five each.

Across the state 460 search and rescue missions were completed in October – including 130 emergency responses – safely returning almost a thousand people to shore.

Acting Commissioner Todd Andrews said the figures were staggering and followed a record month in September, highlighting the sustained high demand for the Service’s operations.

“We have seen a 19 percent increase in demand for our services compared with the same month last year, which was previously our busiest October,” Acting Commissioner Andrews said.

“Our 3,500 volunteers were in high demand last month, with boaters making the most of favourable weather during the second half of the spring holidays, including the long weekend.”

The boating season began on 1 October and runs through to ANZAC Day 2026.

“It is concerning that 44 percent of our responses were for engine failure,” Acting Commissioner Andrews said.

“Being the start of the boating season, it is clear many skippers were caught out by a lack of maintenance and took to the water without ensuring their vessels were in good working order,” Acting Commissioner Andrews said.