Marine Rescue Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are encouraging boaters to stay safe on the water as a sunny Easter long weekend beckons.
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The safety reminder comes after Lake Macquarie was ranked among the country's top-three lakes and dams for drowning.
A Royal Life Saving 2023 report revealed that in the 10 years up to 2020-21 more than 900 people had drowned in inland waterways, including rivers, creeks, lakes and dams in Australia.
Five drowning deaths were reported in Lake Macquarie in that period. Only one other Australian lake had more drownings - Victoria's Lake Eildon with seven, while St Georges Basin on the NSW South Coast had five.
More drownings have occurred in Lake Macquarie since the reporting period, and several of the reported tragedies have involved boating.
Lake Macquarie Marine Rescue unit commander Jim Wright said people going out on the lake must understand that it could be a dangerous place.
"People should be aware of the weather. It can be a sunny day on the lake, but the weather only needs to change slightly and accidents can happen. Treat the lake with respect and wear life jackets," he said.
In the first three months of 2023 Marine Rescue volunteers in NSW conducted 1675 rescue missions.
For the third consecutive month this year, Lake Macquarie was the state's busiest unit with 65 rescue missions, while Marine Rescue Port Stephens conducted 30.
"We've seen far too much trauma on our coastline this summer, my hope is that we get through this Easter weekend with no fatalities or serious injuries," Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast for Good Friday is partly cloudy with a high of 27 degrees. Easter Saturday will mirror that temperature with mostly sunny conditions.
Easter Sunday and Monday will be mostly sunny with a maximum temperature of 22 degrees.
Marine Rescue Newcastle deputy unit commander Lyn Van Homrigh said her crew will be manning the radio base all weekend as locals and visitors enjoy the warmer autumn weather out on the water.
"We're on call 24/7 for any rescues that may be needed," she said.
Ms Van Homrigh reminded boaters to wear life jackets, check their vessels were up to standard, and to log on with Marine Rescue.
"Make sure you've got plenty of fuel and look after yourselves. Look after your vessels, look after yourself check the weather and log on with Marine Rescue, because that actually does save time if we do need to come and help," she said.
Boaters can log on with their local base via the free Marine Rescue NSW app or over VHF marine channel 16.
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Alanna Tomazin
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
