If Shoalhaven Marine Rescue has its way, an aquatic robot could be seen off the coast of Gerringong helping boaters in distress.

Deputy Unit Commander Lynne Hocking revealed that the organisation hopes to raise $13,000 to purchase the Portugese-made self-propelled, remote-controlled robot buoy that can rescue conscious people in the water where a rescue vessel and its crew could be at risk.  

 “[The buoys] pay for themselves. You’d only have to have one of our rescue vessels do a ‘prop on a rock’ and that’s far more than $13,000, so this is a steal,” she says.

Shoalhaven Marine Rescue covers as far north as Black Head in Gerringong and could see the self-propelled rescue device deployed.

Supplied: Shoalhaven Marine Rescue Deputy Unit Commander Lynne Hocking 

“There’s another unit that takes care of Kiama, they’re out of Shellharbour, but if they needed it, boy oh boy, would we be there with our robot.” 

The idea behind acquiring the robot is to reduce the risk of harm to the volunteers on the water and quickly reach people in distress.

“Picture this,” says Lynne, “Some boaters are driving out over the bar and their boat breaks down, very close to the rocks. 

 “Out comes Marine Rescue, thrashing through the swell and we think we can’t get in too close, but we need to save these people because that’s what we do; we save lives at sea. 

“So, we’ll whip this little remote-controlled robot [to the distressed boat], zip it across with a line attached to the distressed vehicle, and [those in trouble] attach it to the front of their boat, and we drag them away into safety. 

“We haven’t put our volunteers or vessel at risk,” says Lynne.

Supplied: The self-propelled, remote-controlled robot buoy.

Shoalhaven Marine Rescue is looking for donations to purchase the high-tech equipment.

“This is a vision that our unit has of the first on the South Coast to have [an aquatic robot].”

 Last fiscal year, Marine Rescue NSW volunteers achieved a remarkable feat by conducting a high number of rescues. They saved 68 people in the Shoalhaven and 160 in Port Kembla, including two children and two adults from a vessel that was taking water off Scarborough on Saturday morning.