At 06.30am on 26 September, French MRCC New Caledonia received a 406 beacon distress alert from a Motor Vessel named “Liberty” (with an Australian Flag) after activating her Cospas-Sarsat EPIRB near Grand Passage, between d’Entrecasteaux Reef and the Northern lagoon.
The first investigations were conducted in liaison with the Australian JRCC Canberra in charge of the Cospas-Sarsat data processing in the region.
A relative of a crew member involved in the incident provided the supplementary information to the MRCC that the Liberty was shipwrecked when she faced an unmanageable waterway following impact with a semi-submerged object, and the three crew members (two Australians and one British citizen) had taken refuge onboard their tender.
The MRCC New Caledonia immediately engaged the nearby cruise ship “Pacific Dawn”, transiting from Vanuatu to Brisbane.
The Liberty and the Pacific Dawn were able to communicate using VHF and satellite phone.
At around 10:30am, contact was established, and the three survivors were rescued, safe and sound, but shocked, onboard the “Pacific Dawn”.
They were dropped off in Brisbane on Saturday morning. The Liberty sank shortly after the rescue.
The Cospas-Sarsat 406 beacon provided the first alert in this case.
A satellite phone was then used with the help of relatives in Vanuatu, and a VHF ground radio-station was used for homing to the ship.
There was excellent co-ordination between the cruise ship engaged to enact the rescue and the MRCC.
As noted in our previous post on the same event, you can read more and see video here:
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/oceania/it-was-panic-stations-cruise-ship-rescues-australians-from-life-raft-off-new-caledonia-20190926-p52vco.html
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-26/p&o-cruise-ship-rescues-three-men-near-new-caledonia/11551902
https://karryon.com.au/industry-news/rescue-mission-pacific-dawn-saves-three-abandoned-seafarers/