The man had been sailing his 10.4m vessel from Darwin to Nhulunbuy when he was knocked into the water by a “freak gust of wind”.
The “safety-conscious yachtsman” was able to send a distress signal using the 406 PLB in his life jacket.
It took water police five hours to reach him, moving through “poor weather and heavy seas”.
They noted, “we can only deploy assets if we know where to look.”
By the time he could be reached, the man had drifted 23 km away from his yacht due to the weather.
“The teamwork displayed by all agencies, including AMSA, Water Police and Nhulunbuy police members, certainly saved this man’s life.”
“I cannot stress enough the importance of life jackets with Personal Locator Beacons.”
http://www.mysailing.com.au/latest/solo-yachtsman-saved-by-personal-locator-beacon-on-life-jacket