Border volunteers add to water safety call after spate of drownings across states

The message from Border volunteers, who have already responded to one tragedy, is for the community to be their eyes.

Albury and Border Rescue Squad captain Paul Marshall, whose crew recovered Julius Lunanga after he drowned, said there were also near-misses at Christmas.

"On the day when Julius went missing, there was a young boy pulled out of the water who had been struggling at Noreuil and there was a near drowning of a toddler in a pool," he said.

"The near misses are the ones that we'll never hear about.

"There's talks of lifeguards and all sorts of preventative measures, however, the best prevention is for us to be a community and to look out for each other.

"If you see someone in the water doing something that concerns you, just say something politely."

Curtis Kishere, of the NSW SES Albury unit, said checking conditions was integral, given the high water levels and likelihood of new snags.

"You have to watch for currents, don't go swimming if you don't know the waters, and watch for debris," he said.

"If the weather is not looking good with isolated thunderstorms or the like, it's probably better not to swim.

"The danger will also be on the roads; January is set to be very wet and we're on storm watch all the time."

Albury and Border Rescue Squad and the SES patrolled the Murray River at Noreuil on New Year's Day.

Mr Marshall said there were no incidents, but volunteers picked up broken floating devices from banks and noticed new swings, which both put people at risk.

"Towards the end of the patrol, we did see some youth climbing on the tree that had fallen down at Noreuil and two of them were in the water struggling a bit," he said.

"If they fall in and the current pushes them under the tree, they'll be snagged and pushed up against it.

"The barriers are there for a reason.

"Mostly, people were doing the right thing ... we just want people to look out for each other."

Life Saving Victoria said nine people had drowned since the beginning of summer, four more than the average.

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NSW Police Marine Area commander Superintendent Murray Reynolds also issued advice after responding to four fatal drownings, including that of young Julius.

Superintendent Reynolds urged people to be safe around the water and said recent deaths were "incredibly tragic".

"Our heart goes out to the loved ones of the people who recently lost their lives in the water," he said.