Surf Life Saving NSW reported a number of remarkable milestones and miraculous rescues along the coast between September and April.

Although the Far South Coast Branch was recorded as having a lower number of rescues compared to other branches up the coast, it was still a busy season for the far south crews.

A major milestone was the implementation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) otherwise known as drones.

In December last year, members from Pambula and Tathra Surf Life Saving Clubs trained as UAV pilots. Shortly after, drones were introduced to beaches across the NSW coastline as part of a shark spotting trial with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and a Westpac beach safety program.

READ MORE: Shark surveillance drones at Pambula and Tathra

Director of Lifesaving Far South Coast branch Cheryl McCarthy said the public appreciated having the extra "eyes in the sky" especially around popular beaches. SLS NSW reported there were more than 200 sharks spotted along the NSW coastline forcing 45 beach closures between October and April.

The Far South Coast drones were not only called in for shark spotting, they also proved to be very useful in search and rescue operations along the Eden coastline.

The drones were called in to help out with two large-scale searches for missing man Craig Evans who was last seen in Eden in December last year.

Nine UAV pilots from the SLS Support operations team as well as the the Westpac Life Saver Helicopter Rescue crew alongside NSW Police, State Emergency Services and NSW Rural Fire Services took part in the search.

Ms McCarthy said the drones played a major role in both searches.

"Around Snug Cove and Aslings there are some difficult places for people to get into. The drones were able to fly in and take a closer look.

"Which also meant lowering the risk for the SES, people didn't have to unnecessarily abseil down cliff faces - the drones were able to investigate first. They also help speed things up a bit," she said.

"The sim cards inside the drones are able to capture photographs and video footage which can be stored and reviewed time and time again. This makes them convenient not only on the day of the searches but also at later dates.

"Drones were sent out over the water in areas that are difficult to reach. Due to their better visibility we were able to look for smaller items such as keys and credit cards."

Ms McCarthy said she would love to see drones in operation at every SLS club along the Far South Coast.

"There is 220 kilometres of coastline that we look after. Along the coast between Tathra and Bermagui there is 36 kilometres and nowhere to launch power crafts," Ms McCarthy said.

"When searching for people, using drones will make for a speedier search as well as save valuable time in rescue situations.

"The more we use drones the better we will understand their capabilities," Ms McCarthy said.

Although the patrol season has ended SLS NSW is ready to respond to incidents around the clock.

"We would like to thank the many volunteers along the Far South Coast for their commitment to surf lifesaving and giving up their valuable time with families to look out for others," Ms McCarthy said.