MORE people are relying on Marine Rescue NSW than ever before.

As accounts were tallied for the financial year’s end, administration volunteers noted a 7.5-per-cent increase in rescues.

It’s a new record, a solid increase on the previous greatest number of rescues that was only set last year.

Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said the service’s 3300 volunteers were involved in 4,567 rescue missions between 1 July 2022 and June 30 this year, compared with 4,251 in 2020/21.

“Rescues for the past 12 months are up around 7.5 per cent on our previous busiest record, set in the year 2020/2021.

“Our volunteers safely returned over 10,000 boaters to shore during the 22/23 financial year,” said Mr Barrell.

“Their commitment to keeping boaters safe on New South Wales waterways, and in some cases during extremely challenging conditions, has been exemplary,” the commissioner said.

It was mostly fishermen who were rescued, with mechanical failure, flat batteries and running out of fuel the most common reasons for assistance.

“Boaters need to remember that mechanical and fuel issues can lead to dangerous situations becoming life-threatening, it is vital that boaters check and service their vessels often,” Commissioner Barrell said.

Marine Rescue NSW radio operators managed 250,123 radio calls during the financial year with a large portion managed by the State Communications Centre at Belrose.

“Marine Rescue radio operators have managed a large volume of traffic over the last 12 months,” said Mr Barrell.

“This is a testament to their skill and professionalism, keeping boaters safe on the water,” he said.

Commissioner Barrell also said Marine Rescue NSW experienced its busiest June on record, with 315 rescues, a third of which were emergency situations.

The Hunter/Central Coast’s Lake Macquarie unit was the busiest in NSW, with 41 rescue missions last month, while the Botany Port Hacking unit was involved in 26, making it the busiest of the greater-Sydney units.

Mick Chubb from Marine Rescue Lemon Tree Passage told News Of The Area, “Marine Rescue Lemon Tree Passage is one of the smaller Marine Rescue bases [but even we] attended 73 incidents in the period,” he said.

By Marian SAMPSON