Marine Rescue Raby Bay

If you are in the vicinity of the Cleveland Caravan, Camping, Boating & 4x4 Expo this weekend, then pop down and say hello to the volunteers at the Marine Rescue Queensland display or the interactive fishing show with Robbie and Mossy.

I thought it was supposed to be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But maybe it's really a Rescue Boat.

Not every crew day is packed with adventure, but sometimes it seems that way. As MRQ we can now have members as young as 16 and our newest recruit (the daughter of one of our members) has been waiting until we became MRQ in order to join. So today was her first day and we were able to combine some crew drills and local knowledge with a visit to the Moreton Bay Fishing Classic at Manly Harbour Boat Club. There the crew got to meet Scott from Creek to Coast and those attending the Marine Rescue Queensland booth.

After returning to base another crew was dispatched to assist a Mayday call where an engine fire disabled a large recreational vessel. Fortunately the situation was quickly contained and the occupants were transported to safety where firies from Qld Fire service checked the vessel and gave it the all clear.

Sometimes the day doesn't quite go to plan. Remember to check the bilge pumps work! Marine Rescue Raby Bay received a call from a vessel that was taking on water. When arriving on scene, the vessel was already underwater. Fortunately everyone is ok and now safely back on shore. It's a reminder that when things go wrong on the water it can happen quickly.

It's not all breakdowns, searches and medevacs. Being a volunteer can also get you some pretty good seats to the airshow it seems. Over the weekend volunteers from Marine Rescue Raby Bay along with other MRQ and Coast Guard vessels supported Queensland Police and Queensland Ambulance as a standby unit on the water. Whilst it does mean bobbing around for 8 hours at a time, the photos one of our crew sent though seem pretty impressive.

Last night MRQ Raby Bay was activated by Water Police to assist in the search for a missing person and their vessel.

Multiple search and rescue units from different bases searched until the early hours of the morning.

We are thankful for those volunteers who donate their time to help people in distress at all hours of the day or night whenever they are asked.

Edit: as has been noted in the media, Mr Tillema has been located. Our condolences to his family and friends.

Another night time activation, only this time he's smiling. Could it be that he's happy with the new livery and MRQ branding that was added to the vessels today, or perhaps he just got ribbed too much about not smiling in the last one. Why not both? The new colours and logos on the boat does look nice. And it was such a scenic night on the water too.

RBIV preparing for a night navigation assessment for one of our skippers.

Spoiler alert: He passed. Congratulations Derek.

Crew5 became the first rostered boat crew since transitioning to MRQ. With 15-20 knot winds forecast it was unlikely to be a busy day on the ramp.

The crew made the most of the new uniforms and getting a group shot in front of RB2.

Then skipper Fran successfully passed her unrestricted towing assessment and senior crew Phil passed his Trainee Skipper assessment. Alas their respective crews kept themselves focused and no photos were taken.

The rest of the day was spent with the usual cleaning and training work, although a report of a vessel on fire in the anchorage led to a rapid deployment to check. Everything was fine as it was just a skipper cleaning his boat with a pressure washer and the spray looked like white smoke.

⚓️ Marine Rescue Community ⚓️

On behalf of all members at Volunteer Marine Rescue Raby Bay, we are deeply saddened by the tragic events involving our brothers and sisters at Marine Rescue Ballina.

This is incredibly hard to process. Our crews are more than just volunteers; we are family. When something like this happens, it is felt by every one of us across the entire marine rescue community.

It does not matter what colour uniform we wear or which state we serve in, we are all volunteers united by the same purpose: saving lives at sea ❤️

We understand that the situation is still unfolding, and that privacy for the squadron and the families involved is paramount. During this time, we stand back with respect but we stand firmly beside you.

No one should ever lose a brother at sea.

To those grieving, please know this: we are so deeply sorry for your loss, and we stand ready to support you in any way we can: today, tomorrow, and in the days ahead.

Volunteer Marine Rescue Raby Bay - standing by ⚓️