Volunteer Rescuers

There are many good people who freely give their time and energy to protecting others. Surf Lifesaving Queensland is one such group, with 59 surf lifesaving clubs, made up of approx. 36,000 dedicated people patrolling 84 beaches in Queensland.

Not only do they patrol our beaches onshore, but with their Offshore Rescue Boats (ORB's) they provide a valuable safety resource for search and rescue and water supervision. They are also available to assist the Water Police and the Coastguard.

All are volunteers.

The Volunteer Marine Rescue Assc. Qld. (VMRAQ) is another organisation that is dedicated to preserving the safety of Queensland's boating public. They too are all volunteers.

In Queensland there are 25 VRMAQ squadrons covering the coast from Pt.Danger in the south, to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, as well as the Torres Strait Islands and Thursday Island. That's 2700Km of coastline.

Besides search and rescue, the VMRAQ also offer a "log on and log off" service. Boaties can register their call sign, boat name, departure point and time, destination, intention, number onboard and expected return time.

As well as all this, they also offer advice on what to do in emergencies. A wonderful group of people.

The largest of the volunteer marine rescue organisations, the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard has been protecting and educating Australia's boating public since 1961. Their marine operations cover 5 separate fields, radio monitoring, safety patrols, vessel assistance, vessel tracking and search and rescue.

Public education is another field that they are active in, conducting classes on seamanship, navigation, radio and boat licencing.