Marine Rescue NSW is reminding boaties to check safety equipment, their vessel and weather conditions before embarking on a day on the water, amid a spike in calls for help in the lead-up to the official start of boating season last weekend.
Figures released on Thursday morning show that the Lake Macquarie crew was the state's busiest in September, with 58 jobs (taking its total to 516 for the year so far) - up from 38 in August.
In Port Stephens, there were 18 call-outs in September (up from 11 in August), and nine at Lemon Tree Passage (up from six the previous month).
There was only one call for help to the Newcastle crew during the month - a slight drop from from three in August.
"With the weather warming up, a busy boating season is expected, and our volunteers are ready," Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie spokesperson Garry Luxton said.
"It's important that you double check everything before you hit the water, please don't become another statistic.
"Check your vessel, check the weather conditions, check all of your safety equipment, it could save your life.
"Always log on via channel 16 on your VHF radio or via the Marine Rescue NSW app, it's free and our volunteers will be listening out for you if something goes wrong. Don't forget to log off when you return so we know that you're safe."
