Marine Rescue Queensland, Bundaberg

11/06/2026

No engine and slow sailing

A 12:45 yesterday our Duty Skipper was advised by the radio room of a call for assistance from a yacht some 22nm south of Burnett Heads (off Woodgate). The 11.6m yacht had 1 POB , a disabled engine, no radio comms and intermittent mobile phone coverage. The skipper realised he would not make Burnett Heads before dark and would require assistance to enter the channel.

Bundy Rescue 2 departed the harbour at 13:30 to rendezvous with the vessel at 14:37, now some 3nm north of the original location. The tow back to Burnett Heads was mostly at 6 knots and eventually at 7 knots. Bundy Rescue 2 entered the channel in the dark at 17:26 to proceed to an 18:15 anchorage upstream of the sugar wharf. Comms to the towed vessel was by mobile phone only.

Bundy Rescue 2 was left on the MRQ pontoon after the 5.75 hour and 45nm activation. The crew returned today for refueling and washdown.

Photos: Arrival, last light, Sunset

Crew: Graham K (Skipper), John P, Peter W, Peter B, Rod, Catherine
Radio: Roger C

11/06/2026

Essential info for logging on

There is now an MRQ Bundaberg sticker for recording the basic information which will allow your vessel to be entered into our database or to speed up the next log on if the rego is mentioned.

We recommend the sticker (see photo) be completed with a permanent marker and placed near your VHF radio.

Stickers are available to the Base and the upcoming MRQ Bundaberg Family Fishing Classic 3-5 July.

09/06/2026

Yacht assist and an errant tender

Wednesday around 16:00 the radio room received a call from a yachtie in trouble in Burnett River near Chalmers Point. While trying to move, he had wrapped some rope around the vessel’s propellor and was being blown towards the rocks. He quickly dropped an anchor but felt it was not holding. He requested a tow out to a safe anchorage.

In the meantime, the radio room received info re a jet ski with a cover drifting about 5nm south of the channel. Bundy Rescue 3 was now on its first activation. The yacht was prioritised and then BR3 headed south to try and locate the jet ski. On the way down we received further info that the ski was probably a 4.5 metre RHIB tender lost the day before. BR3 got to the location but the light was fading fast so only a short search was carried out before returning to Base without locating it. BR3 was back at Base 19:45.

This was also the first night activation for Bundy Rescue 3.

On Thursday at 10:38 the radio room received a call from a yacht reporting coordinates for the sighting of a small drifting vessel with a cover on it. Bundy Rescue 3 was launched at 11:45 and headed south. The coordinates were about 15 nm south of the channel. On the way down we received a call re another sighting with an updated position. The vessel was located and prepared for the tow and taken back for securing to the MRQ pontoon. The owner was contacted and is making arrangements for its recovery. He was very appreciative. We finished up and were heading home at 16:15.

Photos: Tender alongside BR3; Tender at MRQ pontoon
Crew: Jim (Skipper), Rod. Peter W and John P.

09/06/2026

Where is that buoy?

One of the benefits of having two offshore rescue vessels at MRQ Bundaberg is that we can now practice coordinating search and rescue patterns involving both vessels.

This was the plan for training last Saturday. Bundy Rescues 2 and 3 were positioned about 1.5nm away from the Bundaberg wave monitoring buoy, which is a small dirty yellow sphere and visible from about 200m in good conditions (see video) and about 8nm offshore. Bundy Rescue 2 was the command vessel and established a creeping line SAR pattern in the Furuno Navnet on a 400m track spacing of 2nm legs. Bundy Rescue 3 was initially stationed 200m to starboard.

The wave buoy was located on the 5th leg.

After the SAR pattern exercise both vessels engaged in heaving line practice as this skill is essential for transfer of a tow line across a range of sea conditions (see video).

Photos / video: Bundy Rescue 3 to starboard; The wave buoy; Creeping line pattern with both vessels; Heaving line transfer.

28/05/2026

LifeFlight above

MRQ Bundaberg was engaged by LifeFlight to provide a training environment for their marine operations. Our primary rescue vessel, Bundy Rescue 2, exercised with LifeFlight’s Rescue 599 over two days in late April and again on 26-27th May.

Multiple sorties included retrieval of a dummy life raft onto Bundy Rescue 2, receiving a rescue swimmer onto Bundy Rescue 2, recovery of the swimmer and life raft back to the helo, deploying our rescue dummy for recovery by the rescue swimmer back to the helo.

These exercises are to allow ongoing accreditation for the LifeFlight crews and as well as providing training for our volunteers in the event that an emergency interaction with the helicopter is required.

Photos and video: Bundy Rescue 2 & 3 underway; Crew on standby, Helo above, It’s wet down here, Dummy on the winch, Dummy recovered, Video helo and BR2, Video winching the dummy. Aerial vision courtesy LifeFlight

27/05/2026

Lady Elliot Island Getaway for $2

A Lady Elliot Island Getaway for two people is the major raffle prize for the 2026 Marine Rescue Bundaberg Family Fishing Classic. The Getaway is for three days and two nights for two people. Tickets are just $2 or a book of 10 for $20.

Second prize is a Lowrance fish finder / sounder. Third prize is an 80L esky.

Our ticket sellers (see photo) will be at the following venues up to the Classic which starts on 3rd July.
• Friday– Dan Murphys 1-4pm
• Saturday – Tackle World 7am-Midday
• Tuesday & Wednesday 8:30am-Midday– The CBD Pavilion in the Main Street
• At the Classic if not already sold out

27/05/2026

Just 36 days to 2026 Marine rescue Bundaberg Family Fishing VMR Bundaberg Family Fishing Classic

The 19th Marine rescue Bundaberg Family Fishing Classic will be held 3-5 July next to the Base at Burnett Heads.

Full details of fish categories, prizes and registration details are available from the MRQ Bundaberg Family Fishing Classic web site . https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fl.facebook.com%2Fl.php%3Fu%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.mrqbundabergffc.com.au%252F%253Ffbclid%253DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExMzR2RlBiRjlhbnZQRTdOcXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6VKXJUmr123tWjoNolK21g1FdaFTqAqoVzlmxk1I3aWEJRdzi2PorpZIif1g_aem_XQUqKEPPkDYTPRYx_eofGg%26h%3DAUC_hZcIxLgfgymGgNIJI3J8Ixqs-7OiaJmvZy8V0HKlAhuT4uWybhsnfHmkysUkjMPVBJJzMgExrSd0weFwwBAnf5LKYvsqb8UiLoknpIlO7x0XTobUCrfbdxdw38fzrL79vCpDq0HECI2M5BOx&data=05%7C02%7CGraham.Kingston%40mrq.qld.gov.au%7Caae7951ac93346a93cbe08debc41d871%7Cf2d7ef3a970c439e9d3aa7ec8cbc3924%7C0%7C0%7C639155188160928241%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5f5shaz2rvAVCte7A%2BOmTeLILFVIyI2SJmbNlflqmBM%3D&reserved=0

The major prize schedule below includes the following, in addition to other prizes and lucky draws valued at over $70,000.

Adult and Junior Categories
• $849 - Eagle 7 Triple Shot Sounder - Early Bird
• $12,494 - 359 Stacer Territory Striker with 15HP Mercury Outboard Boat Package - Friday Night
• $13,489 - 379 Stacer Territory Striker with 20HP Mercury Outboard Boat Package - Saturday Night
• $20,977 - 399 Stacer Proline with 25HP Mercury Outboard Boat Package - Sunday Afternoon
• Mystery Weight in for Junior and Senior Live Fish classes
• Two Tagged Live Fish Categories (one Flathead and one Bream)
• 1,000's more prizes to win
• A great family event - Support our Sponsors and a vital volunteer organisation
• Fisher Incentive Draw (Junior and Senior)

21/05/2026

27 knots of southerly, a drifting yacht, lost tender and Bundy Rescue 2

Just after midday our radio room advised the Duty Skipper of a report of a yacht adjacent Wallce Creek in the Burnett River that was drifting toward the northern rock wall in a gusting 27 knot southerly. The advice was no POB, so the sighting was escalated to MSQ. Nine minutes later updated advice was with 2 POB. Then there was a radio call requesting assistance as a line was fouled around the propellor preventing use of the engine.

A crew was called with Bundy Rescue 2 launched at 13:06. The yacht was sailing up and down opposite the boat harbour under a jib. Once the yacht had sailed further upstream to allow more room for assistance maneuvers a tow line was attached. During this transit we noticed there was no dinghy on the ropes trailing for the stern davits. As the skipper was reluctant to re-anchor in the strong wind Bundaberg Port Marina quickly allocated a berth.

After rafting up opposite the marina our helmsman expertly maneuvered the 10m yacht into a pen that already contained a large catamaran by 14:00.

Enroute to the Base we spotted a small RHIB grounded on the northern rock wall. Was this from the disabled yacht? This was confirmed by a phone call and photo to the skipper who would make arrangements for its recovery.

The day wound up with a nice message from the yacht’s skipper. ”Thanks for that. Dinky (sic) recovered. And thanks for your help today. We live and learn. …….Again you guys were legends”.

It appears that the line fouled around the propeller was from a painter that had come loose.

Crew: Graham K (skipper), Adam (controlled the job), Eric, Peter W, Peter B and John P.
Photos: Following the yacht up stream, On tow, The grounded tender.

03/05/2026

03/05/2026

Search and Rescue Training

Coordination and communication are always major challenges in multi-vessel search and rescue (SAR) operations. The addition of Bundy Rescue 3 to operational capacity at Bundaberg provided a great opportunity to hone the above skills in offshore operations.

On Friday and Saturday Bundy Rescues 2 and 3 trained together with Expanding Square and Creeping line SAR patterns. Bundy Rescue 2 was the command vessel utilizing the inbuilt Furuno SAR patterns for a 400m track spacing, while Bundy Rescue 3 was stationed at 200m for the exercise in moderate seas.

We resolved that the standard Expanding Square plan was not well suited to more than one vessel, without delayed starting time from the same datum or operating from an offset datum. The Creeping Line exercise worked well. Patterns in the photos are for Bundy Rescue 3 with tracks split with Bundy Rescue 2.

We are fortunate the Bundaberg regional Council has approved a reserved parking spot at the head of the Burnett Heads Boat ramp for our tractor / trailer combination for Bundy Rescue 3.

Photos: Expanding Square; Creeping Line; Bundy Rescue 2 underway; Bundy Rescue 3 underway; Video of Bundy Rescue 2; Our reserved parking.