Jet Rescue Boats

The Jet Rescue Boat (JRB) service has been operating in Queensland for more than 30 years. While JRBs are primarily used as a surveillance vessel, they also provide a 24-hour callout and search and rescue service. The development of the aluminium craft, powered by turbo-charged diesel and petrol engines, has meant a significant advancement in white water rescue capabilities.

With an overall length of approximately 6.4 metres, the craft is slightly longer than its predecessors but offers greater speed and manoeuvrability with the craft having a search and rescue duration of up to ten hours. Operational areas include high seas, shallow waters and river mouths where a jet system is unmatched.

The absence of underwater appendages inherent with water jets allows the boat to operate both close to shore and in shallow waters. The craft is capable of transporting numerous people and has the ability to perform long distance surveillance and rescue patrol work in the white water aquatic environment.

In South-East Queensland, aluminium hulled JRBs are used as they are best suited to operating in the high surf environments like those on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts. These vessels have been operated by SLSQ since 1970 and are based at Currumbin on the Gold Coast and Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast.