Volunteer Marine Rescue Southport ( VMR Southport ) is a volunteer Organisation committed to saving life and property at sea. This Organisation has been in existence since 1968. In those early days, marine rescue assistance was provided by a handful of members using their own private vessels. Today, VMR Southport has grown to be a Squadron of in excess of 140 volunteer members, manned 24 hours / 7days, maintaining and utilising four long range, fully equipped Rescue vessels. In 2023, in excess of 1000 marine rescue activations will be undertaken, and our Rescue crews will participate in a further 500 plus training activations, contributing over 70,000 unpaid hours in providing this vital community service. Rescue activations can range from towing broken down vessels, pulling vessels off sandbanks, and pumping out sinking vessels, through to long range ocean going marine search and rescue missions. Volunteer Marine Rescue Southport is frequently tasked by The Queensland Water Police to assist with marine search and rescue, the Queensland Ambulance Service for transport of Emergency Paramedics to marine medical activations, and is further utilised by Maritime Safety Qld, the Australian Border Force, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and several other Government and community Organisations. VMR Southport primarily operates in an area stretching from the Queensland / New South Wales border through to the southern parts of Moreton Bay, including the hundreds of kilometres of canals, rivers, and tributaries of the Gold Coast Broadwater. This area includes an offshore operating range of up to 30 nautical miles. VMR Southport is often referred to as the busiest Marine Rescue Organisation in Australia given the number of rescue activations undertaken, versus the density of our area of operation, which is very minimal given the length of the nations coastline. Every year VMR Southport uses in excess of 50,000 litres of fuel, providing a service the local and transient boating community of Southern Queensland can religiously rely upon. VMR Southport also provides the only 24 hour / 7 day marine radio safety listening watch on the Gold Coast, and has an obligation to the boating public to provide a first class marine rescue service. Every year hundreds of vessels exiting and entering the Gold Coast Seaway and transiting the area, or those mariners using the inside waterways of the Gold Coast Broadwater, rely on uninterrupted and high clarity marine radio communications with VMR Southport. ​VMR Southport receives a small amount of Government funding, however the majority of funding required to meet ever increasing day to day operational expenses is met by our hard working volunteers, who undertake membership drives, fundraise at Boatshows and community events, and tin rattle, seeking donations at pubs and clubs in the local area. In the current economic climate, fundraising is extremely difficult and extremely competitive. We look forward to receiving any Bartercard / Qoin donations towards keeping the Gold Coast's waterways safe.