Marine Rescue NSW has urged boaters taking a boating break over the Anzac Day long weekend to make safety on the water their priority.
Commissioner Stacey Tannos said volunteers would be on duty at MRNSW units along the coastline and inland on the Alpine Lakes and Murray River at Moama every day of the weekend. “Boaters should be confident our members will be out patrolling popular waterways, keeping watch and ready to respond to emergencies on the water,” he said.
Commissioner Tannos encouraged boaters to take four simple safety precautions to help increase their chances of a trouble-free journey – and of being rescued should the worst happen:
- check your vessel is in good working order before heading out on the water. Check your battery is fully charged. Check fuel, oil and coolant levels. Ensure you have sufficient fuel supplies on board and check your trailer wheels and bearings.
- ensure everyone on board is wearing their lifejacket. A lifejacket can help save your life – if you are wearing it. Emergencies can happen unexpectedly, often without giving you time to find and put on your lifejacket. Putting on your lifejacket as soon as you step on board is the best insurance policy.
- log on and log off with Marine Rescue NSW or other relevant rescue organisation in your region. Use your marine radio or the MarineRescue app for smartphones and mobile devices to let the volunteers at MRNSW know where you’re headed, the number of people on board and when you expect to return. This means someone responsible knows you’re out there and can move quickly to look for you if you don’t return as scheduled.
- know your position so you can guide rescuers to you in an emergency. Boaters with the MarineRescue app can get an immediate GPS position. If you do not have access to a GPS you can keep track of where you are by noting your compass direction as you travelled from port to where you called for help, how long it took to get there and the speed at which you were travelling.
If you need help on the water, radio or phone MRNSW for help. In a life-threatening emergency, immediately call Triple Zero and make a MAYDAY call on your marine radio.
Mysailing.com.au recommends all people heading out on the water take note of these simple safety tips. See you out there.
