Marine Rescue complete eighteen local search and rescue missions in March Port POPUP - DAupdate Port Stephens Port Stephens News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - April 18, 2024 Eighteen search and rescue missions were completed in Port Stephens last month. MARINE Rescue NSW’s 3,400 volunteers across the state were in high demand last month, responding to the organisation’s busiest March on record. With favourable boating weather last month, Marine Rescue NSW crews performed an incredible 515 search in rescue missions with 115 of those conducted between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Across the eight Hunter and Central Coast units, volunteers completed 38 search and rescue missions including 39 emergency responses, with 300 people safely returned to shore. Eighteen search and rescue missions were completed in Port Stephens. “Across the state our volunteers safely returned almost 1,200 people to shore with our Sydney region being the busiest with 538 people returned to shore,” Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said. The Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner said 168 of last month’s record 515 search and rescue missions were emergency responses. “Unfortunately we are still seeing too many boaters and their vessels succumb to mechanical, fuel and battery issues with 60 percent of responses last month for these three preventable issues,” he said.
