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The challenge is to instantly detect and locate any distress signal emitted by a Cospas-Sarsat beacon, whether on land, at sea or in the air.
30-year-old Melbourne man activated his EPIRB after he slipped on rocks whilst fishing at Tully Gorge Camping Grounds.
Five seconds after the whale’s collision, an alarm sounded, warning that the boat was filling with water and the sailor dispatched the EPIRB.
The sailors had to abandon the vessel and board a dinghy that was attached to their boat and then deploy an emergency locator beacon.
The boatie set off his Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), before anchoring the boat and waiting for the rescue chopper to arrive.
The service is vital for responding quickly to people in distress and maintaining the safety of seafarers in Australian waters. Â
The new PLB offers AIS signal, plus a 406 satellite beacon plus the near-field frequency link to smartphones and return link technology.
The SAR team received a personal locator beacon signal at 1am this morning; a further nine have since been activated this afternoon.
Industry stakeholders must ensure strict compliance of registration and de-registration process of EPIRBs on board ships.
