Marine Rescue specialists from the Illawarra and South Coast have taken to the water today to search for a missing fishing boat - as part of an exercise.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The search off Ulladulla is the focus of a two-day regional search and rescue exercise designed to test agencies' marine search and rescue practices and coordination.
There were 50 volunteers from nine Marine Rescue NSW units as well as more than 120 specialists taking part in what was the first in a series of search and rescue exercises along the NSW coast this winter.
Marine Rescue NSW volunteers from the Port Kembla, Shellharbour, and Shoalhaven joined with their counterparts from Jervis Bay, Sussex Inlet, Ulladulla, Kioloa, Batemans Bay and Tuross Moruya on Saturday.
The Marine Rescue NSW volunteers were joined by NSW Police, including Incident and Emergency Command and Marine Area Command; the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, 40 members of Surf Life Saving NSW, and the Regional Emergency Management Officer.
"These exercises are staged along the coastline each year to hone marine rescue search and rescue skills and cooperation between agencies to ensure they operate seamlessly when a real emergency strikes," Ms Cooke said.
"This weekend's event is a major component of our emergency services' ongoing professional training program in this busy boating region."
"Our emergency services personnel are trained to the highest standards for their roles and the on-water experience they gain from these exercises helps keep them rescue-ready around the clock."
Marine Rescue NSW Deputy Commissioner Alex Barrell said that while the search exercise was based on a familiar scenario, a few surprises thrown in tested the participant's skills and their coordination with other agencies.
"In addition to the on-water component of the exercise, volunteers from all nine units undertook incident management exercises on shore to further test their skills and capability."