Community
8 August, 2024
New boat to the rescue
THE FNQ waterways are about to get safer with the launch of the Marine Rescue Queensland vessel Trinity Rescue CS31 that has been commissioned for search and rescue operations in the region.
Operated by the QF9 Cairns Coast Guard, Trinity Rescue is a 7.5m-long hard collared, aluminium construction vessel that has joined the Marine Rescue Queensland fleet as a secondary vessel as part of a Queensland Government’s $22.3 million vessel replacement program.
Police Minister Mark Ryan joined Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski and Member for Barron River Craig Crawford for the commissioning ceremony on Monday.
“We’ve officially commissioned the new marine rescue vessel for Cairns and the Far North. This is the Trinity Rescue, the very latest addition to the Marine Rescue Queensland fleet and part of a $22.3m vessel replacement program,” Mr Ryan said.
“This vessel will be supported by Coast Guard Cairns as part of the transition to Marine Rescue Queensland for units across the state.
“The transition has started, and we have already welcomed two units into Marine Rescue Queensland and over the next 12 to 18 months we hope to transition every single unit into Marine Rescue Queensand.
“This is a quick vessel, it’s reliable, it’s state of the art, it fits the capability that Coast Guard Cairns needs, and the volunteers say it’s a very well received asset that will ensure they can support community safety in the region.”
Marine Rescue Queensland chief officer Tony Wulff said the CS31 would ensure both the community and rescue volunteers were safe.
“Trinity Rescue is a state-of-the-art marine rescue vessel with numerous operational and safety features to suit its primary purpose of on-water search and rescue,” he said.
“As we progressively roll-out MRQ across the state, community and volunteer safety is our highest priority.
“Vessels such as the Trinity Rescue go a long way in keeping our volunteers safe so they can focus on the safety of people who use our waterways.”
CS31 will be regularly used for both crew training and rescue activation activities, with capacity of up to eight crew and passengers and a speed of up to 40 knots with a cruising range in excess of 550km.
