Surf Life Saving NSW – and more than 20,000 volunteers – have been given a safety boost in the lead up to summer with 11 new Jet Skis and a fleet of four-wheel-drives to boost existing ranks.
The additional watercraft – part of a $1 million upgrade program by the NSW Government – are due to hit the water in the coming weeks.
The arrival of the 11 new Jet Skis – Sea-Doo GTI models – will swell the number of personal watercraft patrolling the NSW coastline to a total of 67 from the far south coast to the far north coast.
The rollout means Australia’s most populous state also has the highest number of Jet Skis used by emergency services across all agencies including Surf Life Saving, NSW Maritime, and NSW Police.
In a media statement, the NSW State Minister for Emergency Services, Steph Cooke, said: “These Jet Skis will give our life savers the ability to get to people in trouble in the water quickly, and also allow them to reach those in treacherous locations.
“Because of its speed and manoeuvrability, the Jet Ski is one of the most important tools used by Surf Life Saving NSW.
“Our 20,000 lifesavers are better prepared than ever before and are ready for a big summer. But safety is a shared responsibility, so I’m respectfully asking beachgoers to follow advice, avoid unnecessary risks, and swim between the flags.”
Over the past two years, Jet Skis have been used in 704 rescues, 271 emergency call outs, and have spent nearly 23,000 hours on the water helping swimmers, surfers, and boaters, according to data from Surf Life Saving NSW.
The President of Surf Life Saving NSW, George Shales, said in a media statement: “State-of-the-art support operations equipment and vessels … increase our capacity to save lives.”
Patrolled beach locations, patrol times, and live weather updates are available on the BeachSafe app or website.
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