Marine Rescue volunteers in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven responded to more emergencies over the Easter break than the greater Sydney units.
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In the Illawarra region the Marine Rescue units at Port Kembla, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Jervis Bay, Sussex Inlet, Ulladulla and Kioloa conducted 24 search and rescue missions including 14 emergency responses.
In the process they safely returned 68 people to shore.
In the greater Sydney area there were 11 emergency responses among 77 search and rescue missions.
The local incidents were part of a record number of search and rescue missions Marine Rescue NSW conducted over the Easter long weekend.
Volunteer crews completed 163 search and rescue missions including 54 emergency responses over the four days, safely returning 440 people to shore.
The previous busiest Easter for Marine Rescue NSW was in 2022 when volunteers completed 154 missions.
Marine Rescue NSW Deputy Commissioner Darren Schott said favorable weather over the Easter break led to high numbers of boaters hitting the state's waterways.
"The state experienced great weather over the weekend, it was perfect for boating and many people took the opportunity to get out on their boat," he said.
"Our volunteers were extremely busy across Greater Sydney, the Hunter Central Coast and Illawarra regions while in other areas of the state there were fewer incidents with boaters following our safety advice and having an enjoyable day on the water."
Deputy Commissioner Schott said almost a third of responses across NSW over the Easter long weekend were for fuel related issues.
"Running out of fuel can lead to an emergency situation," he said.
"It is important that boaters carry enough fuel for their voyage including some in reserve.
"The rule of three is the safest option, a third for your journey out, a third for your return and a third in reserve to get back safely."
Marine Rescue NSW volunteers kept watch over more that 2,900 vessels which logged on with service over the Easter break.
"We encourage all boaters to log on with Marine Rescue NSW every time they hit the water," Deputy Commissioner Schott said.
"Logging on saves vital time in the event of an emergency and can be done in a minute either via the free Marine Rescue app or VHF marine channel 16."
