Please click to access the Summary of FMCC activity – July 2021 and August 2021
Author: kevin
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2021-09-16 | 3 crew members and dog rescued after boat sank
The Coast Guard rescued three people and a dog found in a life raft off the Oregon, USA coast in the Pacific Northwest on Monday afternoon after their boat sank Sunday afternoon 45 miles off Lincoln City.
At 2:00 p.m., watchstanders received a distress signal from the 406 beacon aboard a 44-foot gray and blue commercial fishing vessel.
At 4:00 p.m., the aircrew found debris and their life raft six miles from the beacon’s last transmitted location.
The crew and dog were hoisted up to safety into the cabin of the helicopter and taken to Newport where family and friends were waiting.
They did not need medical attention.
“They acted quickly and had the necessary equipment to survive an emergency like this”.
“Their preparation and readiness for a worst-case scenario saved their lives.”
Read more and view video here:
https://lincolncityhomepage.com/coast-guard-rescues-crew-of-3-dog-after-fishing-vessel-sinks/
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2021-09-09 | Plymouth, England fisherman stuck at sea after falling overboard ‘lucky to be alive’
A Plymouth fisherman says he is lucky to be alive after he fell overboard off the South Devon coast.
Paul Reed was only rescued thanks to a vital piece of equipment which sent a distress signal to the emergency services.
Paul was heading towards Salcombe on the morning of Friday 3 September when the boat he was on, the Sidney Rose, hit a patch of rough weather.
He tripped and fell overboard, becoming stuck in the water with no chance of swimming to shore.
But his decision to put on his lifejacket would prove crucial.
He remembered the jacket was equipped with a 406 personal locator beacon, which sends a distress signal to the Coastguard with exact co-ordinates.
Within minutes, help was on its way. Two lifeboats and a helicopter picked Paul up and airlifted him to Derriford Hospital, where he was checked over and given a clean bill of health.
He says there is no doubt the 406 beacon saved his life.
“If I didn’t have it on, I wouldn’t be here speaking to you now,” Paul said. “They are a life-saver.”
The owner of the boat, Ben Squire, says the incident has shocked the fishing community – and is a reminder to always carry the right equipment.
“It was frightening, really frightening,” he said. “There have been quite a few fatalities in fishing. Paul was wearing the right kit, he was trained on how to use it.”
View photos here:
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2021-09-02 | Summary of FMCC activity – June 2021
Please click to access the Summary of FMCC activity – June 2021
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2021-06-25 | Why carry a 406 PLB?
An Alaskan hiker on the 13.6-mile Pioneer Peak Trail communicated with her husband and expressed concern about multiple bears nearby.
She was then chased off the trail by bears and lost her way.
A search was launched but lasted 35 hours with no result.
The hiker spotted rescue helicopters but the Guard aircrews couldn’t see her.
She had waterproof matches and was able to start a fire that night.
“It’s easy to see and hear an aircraft in the sky but can be very challenging to spot a person at night under canopy,” the RCC superintendent said.
“Being prepared for the unexpected is critical in the Alaskan outdoors.
“What you plan as a day hike can quickly turn into a multiday ordeal.”
In addition to carrying bear spray and matches, the RCC superintendent recommends brightly colored clothing, a personal locator beacon, and a satellite communications device.
A small, portable strobe light can also help pinpoint your location, but the beacon is key.
The hiker hiked down the mountain and emerged from the forest the next evening and waved down a ground search and rescue volunteer’s car about a mile from a trailhead.
Read more here:
https://www.ang.af.mil/Media/Article-Display/Article/2663958/lost-hiker-sought-by-alaska-guard-finds-her-way-to-safety/ -
2021-06-23 | What is a 406 beacon and what does it cost?
An EPIRB is an emergency position indicating radio beacon that can help search and rescue authorities pinpoint your position in an emergency.
EPIRBs are designed for maritime use, while personal locator beacons (PLBs) are for use by an individual in a variety of environments, and emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) are installed in aircraft.
Some 406 PLBs attach to a vest.
406 PLBs can be handheld like a global navigation satellite system device and they typically cost around $200.
You can buy a 406 PLB device at any outdoor shop, Marine shop, or online.
Be sure to register your device to allow rescuers to get the best information about reaching you quickly in the event of an alert.
Read more here:
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2021-06-17 | Georgia game warden receives award following 406 PLB rescue
The game warden has been selected to receive an award recognizing an individual for their devotion to waterfowl enforcement and for inspiring their fellow game wardens to perform at their best.
On December 24 2020, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Game Warden Boatright received a call from Seminole County, Georgia, USA, in reference to an 406 PLB signal they had received from the middle of Lake Seminole.
Without hesitation, he called his supervisor for assistance, then launched his patrol vessel into the high winds and pouring rain.
He dialed in the GPS coordinates of the 406 distress signal, where he located a duck hunter in eight feet of water, clinging to the bow of his submerged vessel.
The hunter, who was not wearing a flotation device, could barely move or talk when the officers arrived on scene.
Game Warden Boatright immediately pulled the hunter aboard the patrol vessel and requested an ambulance to meet them at the nearest landing.
On the way to the landing, he removed the hunter’s waterlogged chest waders, shirt, and jacket and gave him his raincoat and an emergency blanket to wear.
During this time, the hunter shook uncontrollably and mumbled to Game Warden Boatright, “Thank you for saving my life.”
After being checked out by emergency personnel, the hunter informed him that his decoy lines had become entangled in the prop of his motor, causing the motor to shut off.
While trying to untangle the lines, waves began coming over his 18-foot boat, causing it to swamp and sink.
The hunter stated that he had activated his 406 PLB just before the vessel sank.
As a waterfowl hunter himself, Game Warden Boatright understands that bad weather conditions will not keep many duck hunters off the lake.
His willingness to weather the extreme conditions of freezing rain, wind, and high waves to respond to an unknown emergency shows his dedication to the safety of the citizens of Georgia, along with the waterfowl hunting community.
Game Warden Boatright gained a lot of positive notoriety with many waterfowl hunters and residents around Lake Seminole after that rescue on Christmas Eve.
Read more here:
https://m.thepostsearchlight.com/2021/06/16/local-game-warden-receives-award/ -
2021-06-16 | Summary of FMCC activity – May 2021
Please click to access the Summary of FMCC activity – May 2021
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2021-06-11 | New Questacon – National Science and Technology Centre exhibition in Australia recognizes significance of satellite technology in search and rescue
Questacon’s latest exhibition, Australia in Space, celebrates Australia’s contributions to the space industry. The exhibition aims to educate and inspire new generations to explore the technology that enables us to travel to outer space and plan space operations.
A component of the exhibition focuses on the use of satellite technology in space exploration, an area in which Australia has been notably involved (see Australia and the first Moon landing). This provided an exciting opportunity for AMSA to showcase distress beacon technology and how we use satellite technology to help with search and rescue.
Linda Berryman, Advisor Response Systems, was invited to contribute to the exhibition through her role at AMSA as a technical and policy advisor for distress alerting devices. In this role, Linda is responsible for managing Australia’s distress beacon register and overseeing the Australian standard for emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs), personal locator beacons (PLBs) and man overboard devices.
Linda says of her career: “I am very passionate and thoroughly enjoy my work helping stakeholders understand how distress alerting devices function. I’m also looking forward to contributing to the evolution of distress alerting devices.”
Asked what she is most excited about people seeing at the exhibition, Linda said: “The exhibition is fantastic and I recommend it to everyone, particularly children. It is an educational and interactive exhibition showcasing space, satellites and innovative technology using satellites. The interactive displays are so much fun, and you can take a selfie flying through space!”
The recently opened Australian Space Discovery Centre in Adelaide also has a twin display of Questacon’s Australia in Space exhibition.
The Australia in Space exhibition is available for all general admission ticket holders in Canberra until early 2022 and will then travel around Australia over the next five years.
See also:
https://www.questacon.edu.au/visiting/galleries/australia-in-space
https://www.industry.gov.au/australian-space-discovery-centre
https://www.industry.gov.au/news/australia-and-the-first-moon-landing -
2021-06-10 | 406 beacon helps French Alpine solo walker
A lone senior hiker went for a walk above Aiguebelette Lake in the French Alps on 27 May 2021, and used his cell phone to determine his location when he wandered away from the trail.
On his way back toward the trail he slipped and fell, and was knocked unconscious when his head hit the ground.
He regained consciousness shortly thereafter, but his phone had been lost when he slipped.
Fortunately, he still had his 406 personal locator beacon with him, which had been registered in the French Registry.
He set off his 406 PLB, which was quickly identified, and the MEOSAR data was rapidly transmitted to the ARCC Lyon (French Air Force) in charge of terrestrial beacon alerts.
Unfortunately, the emergency contact information was out-of-date, and the aeronautical details were for a 406 PLB with multiple uses, making it more challenging for rescuers to determine the nature of the emergency.
Time was spent checking information extracted from the French Beacon Registry and to confirm whether it was an aeronautical or a terrestrial SAR operation.
Because of the mountainous and forested terrain, the helicopters dispatched were not able to receive the 121.5 MHz homing signal being transmitted by the beacon.
However, with the location data sent by the FMCC plus information from a witness, the Sécurité Civile Helicopter managed to identify the site and a rescue team was airlifted at 17:50 UTC.
The man was then transferred to the nearest hospital in Chambéry with his 406 beacon.
Leaving the hospital safe and sound later that evening, triggered beacon still emitting, he went home to rest.
The hospital’s thick walls had been blocking the 406 beacon’s transmission, but once back outside, the beacon was again sending alerts to the Cospas-Sarsat System.
There was no “Off” button on the 406 PLB, and the hiker had no information on how to stop it from transmitting.
After some rest following his ordeal, the beacon was finally deactivated the next morning when police officers, sent by ARCC Lyon, came knocking on his door to get him to turn off the signal!
