A 406 distress beacon has aided in the rescue of four people off Mackay, Queensland, Australia this morning after their seven-metre recreational boat began taking on water.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) detected a 406 EPIRB and tasked a rescue helicopter, a number of nearby recreational boats and the Queensland Fisheries patrol vessel to investigate the signal.
At the same time, Hay Point Vessel Traffic Services overhead a radio call from a person on the boat, reporting they had sustained a cracked hull and were taking on water.
Their boat was overturned and was semi-submersed beside the exposed rock.
The AMSA General Manager of Response praised the parties executing the collaborative search and rescue and added,“If you’re heading outdoors on the water or in the bush, we recommend you have a GPS-encoded distress beacon like an EPIRB or a personal locator beacon (PLB).
“Register it with AMSA online and keep your details, including emergency contacts and trip plans, up to date at all times.”
Read more here:
https://www.miragenews.com/four-people-rescued-off-mackay-thanks-to-a-distress-beacon/