VMR Burdekin

About VMR Burdekin

Established in 1971 by group of Burdekin boaties keen to look after each other, as well as visitors to the region. Private vessels doubled as rescue vessels and the radio building was a caravan towed to Alva Beach every weekend. The squadrons first dedicated rescue vessel “Tonya Leigh” was a second hand, home built, stretched “Formula”. Legends of her exceptional performance and reliability persist today.

Forty years of hard work and dedication by a small group has seen Marine Rescue Burdekin go from strength to strength. The squadron operates from two modern dedicated buildings, a radio building at Alva Beach and a building at Ayr-Dalbeg Road which houses the squadron’s vessels and vehicles. It also houses the squadrons training and meeting room.

Operational Information

The squadron’s area of operations is from Abbott Point to the South, to Cape Cleveland to the North. This area includes the shallow estuaries of the Burdekin River, and the Barratta’s. The area has no all tide access, so the squadron has the unique ability of having its vessels on road registered trailers. They can be towed to the most appropriate landing as quickly and safely as required. They may also be retrieved from a different location to that from which they were launched. This gives the squadron great flexibility when attending to call out activations.

The squadrons primary rescue vessel “Delta One” is a 3700 KevlaCat, powered by twin 300 HP Four stroke Yamaha outboards. It is towed by an Isuzu dual cab truck. The secondary vessel “Honeycombes Rescue” is a 6.2 Metre Airib, powered by twin 90HP Mercury Optimax outboards. It is towed by a Mazda BT50 supplied by Honeycombes Sales and Service Ayr.

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