Marine Rescue Hawkesbury

16/06/2026

Our dear comrade Ian is currently on overseas deployment with the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) The NSRI is a volunteer organisation that saves lives on South African waters through rescue services and water-safety. Yesterday the NSRI flags were lowered to half-mast in honour of our departed comrades Bill Ewen and Frank Petsch of Marine Rescue Ballina, who lost their lives when their vessel capsized as they went to the aid of a stricken yacht. Monday was the day of Bill's funeral.

Ian has passed on this tribute from NSRI to us.

"As we grieve the loss of our Marine Rescue NSW colleagues, we are reminded of the profound sacrifice made by all rescue volunteers and their families, here in South Africa and across the world. You all give up enormous amounts of time away from your families and loved ones to train, prepare yourselves and your equipment, and respond when people you do not know and may never see again need you most.

This tribute is for all of you.

The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) has called on maritime SAR organisations worldwide to join in this tribute.

Our thoughts are with Bill and Frank's families, their colleagues, the Ballina community, and all Search and Rescue volunteers who give so much, asking for nothing in return, to help others in their time of need.

Thank you to each of you and to every volunteer in your crew for your continued service and dedication."

10/06/2026

As part of our Share Your Story series, we're sharing Jake's volunteering journey with Marine Rescue Hawkesbury on Thank a First Responder Day.

For Jake, volunteering is about more than responding to emergencies. It's about being part of a team, supporting his community, and helping people when they need it most.

"Feeling like you are doing something worthwhile with your life, like helping others, not for money but just because they need your help, that's a very valuable thing that gives your life real meaning."

Today, we thank Jake and the volunteer first responders across Australia who answer the call, often in challenging circumstances, to help keep our communities safe, connected and supported.

Read Jake's full story: tinyurl.com/share-your-story-map

Submit your own volunteering story: tinyurl.com/volunteering-story

09/06/2026

08/06/2026

Sunday with 2nd Starboard Watch
Sunday was mostly taken up with drills and training despite there being a lot of boats out on the river. Thankfully everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and not requiring our assistance. During the night our Commander and Training Officer took several of our aspiring skippers and trainees out to hone their skills at night operations. It was a pretty dark night so we used all of our navigational instruments, radar, FLIR etc to find our way up to Spencer. It was pretty chilly for those unfortunate enough to be assigned lookout duty on the back deck! They were rewarded however with a slap up meal at Spencer Thai
N.B. When I say rewarded, they still had to pay for their own dinner... Hawkesbury is not a wealthy unit and all of our funds are spent on fuelling the vessels and saving up for the new engines we need.
Special thanks to volunteer members like our Commander Guy, training officer Phil and Duty Officer and assessor Peter. These gentlemen selflessly donate many more extra hours than the rest of us and show remarkable patience and dedication in their commitment to making sure that all of our members are trained to a very high standard.

08/06/2026

Saturday Watch Report - Second Starboard Watch.
For the first day of the long weekend we were joined by Ben from Second Port Watch. He was doing his OA (Operational Assesment) to see if he was ready to become a fully qualified Crew person. Turns out his comrades at 2nd Port had trained him extremely well and he easily passed the many tests set by Peter our eagle eyed assessor. Very impressive performance Ben, you are a credit to yourself and the Members of your watch.
Just when he thought he was in the clear we were interrupted by the real thing and Ben was required to further display his talents as we rescued a vessel near West Head and towed them in to Parsley Bay. A crowded jetty and boat ramp there complicated matters a little and the crew had to manually manoeuvre the disabled vessel into a spot, closely watched by a large audience of local pelicans.
As a result we were a bit late for lunch so we were very pleased that our VIP visitor had waited at the base to meet us. Luckily our other boat crew had been there to give her a tour and feed her. Cr Olivia Simons serves on the Hornsby Shire Council and is a resident of Brooklyn. She took a keen interest in our work asking lots of questions. The Councillor was also kind enough to participate in the formal adornment of Ben with his new anchor epaulettes.

06/06/2026

03/06/2026

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧
Marine Rescue Hawkesbury "$𝟓𝟓 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐇𝐖𝟑𝟎 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞" 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥

We are happy and grateful to announce that we have passed the halfway mark, help us get to our goal!

Our largest Rescue vessel HW30 is in need of 2 new Suzuki outboard engines at a cost of $73,000. So far we have raised almost 60% of the value thanks to generous donations from the public, but we need your help in a final push to reach our goal and keep HW30 ready to assist all Hawkesbury boaters, fishers and residents.
We are asking for a tax deductible donation of $55 (or more if you can).

𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘:
https://shorturl.at/zgYQL
Help us so we can be there to help you when you need us.

02/06/2026

02/06/2026

29/05/2026

Marine Rescue Hawkesbury provided some extra crew last night to assist Marine Rescue Port Jackson on patrol for Vivid Sydney