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The changes will ensure better responses when distress beacons are activated anywhere on land, sea or air in NZ's search and rescue region.
Coast Guard watchstanders received an EPIRB alert, and directed a cruise ship and an aircrew team to assist the distressed vessel.
The sailor activated the personal EPIRB beacon on his life jacket, as the main SAR equipment got trapped underneath the boat.
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
