Marine Rescue jetski exercise emphasises safety
More than 25 people commandeered eight jetskis and a rescue vessel in an exercise on Lake Macquarie designed to improve the emergency response tactics of Marine Rescue volunteers.
The event, which involved Brisbane Water volunteers, was tagged as a Rescue Water Craft Operator Development Day.
Organisation of the day had taken several months for Central Coast co-ordinator Mr Regan Mitchell and Lake Macquarie co-ordinator Ms Jane Shirriff.
"The program was designed to enhance rescue water craft operators' skills, safety, and operational readiness through practical training and scenario-based exercises," said Mr Mitchell, a trainer at the Point Clare unit as well as at Terrigal and Lake Macquarie.
"The goal was to reinforce standardised rescue techniques and risk management while fostering inter-base teamwork and knowledge sharing," said Ms Shirriff.
Mr Mitchell said the event was also designed to lift the profile of the correct and responsible usage of jetskis in the two largest waterways in New South Wales with high public visibility underlining the importance to maintain safety and professionalism.
"Jetskis have been banned from some sections of Sydney Harbour and the local Marine Rescue units hope to encourage jet ski drivers to use their craft in a responsible fashion on the local waterways to avoid a similar local ban."
Those who attended from Marine Rescue Brisbane Water included Steve Maneschi, Shane Rigney, Brooke Heyward, Antony Price and Mitch Giles
SOURCE:
Media release, 7 Apr 2025
David Wicks, Marine Rescue Central Coast