Marine Rescue Sydney - Hoax distress calls not a joke

There are many hazards and dangers that the hapless boater can encounter. 

Marine Rescue Terrey Hills coordinated the emergency services’ response to a swimmer who was injured by a stingray in the Cowan Creek area of Broken Bay last Thursday (23 December). The swimmer was transported to a waiting ambulance at Cottage Point by their sailing sloop.

Experience when boating can mean the difference between rescue and making it to the destination safely.
Experience came into play for the crew of a thirty-four foot yacht when they lost their steering en route to Sydney Harbour on Christmas Day. Having advised Marine Rescue Terrey Hills of their predicament they were able to jury rig a steering system that saw them safely to their destination at Clontarf. Marine Rescue crews at Middle Harbour remained on standby until the yacht arrived safely.

The annual onset of the 'silly season' unfortunately means a marked increase in hoax distress calls.

Marine Rescue Terrey Hills received a distress (MAYDAY) call in the early hours (2:16 am) of Monday, 27 December. All distress calls are received in good faith and the duty operator immediately followed procedures by relaying the information to nearby vessels, plotting the vessel’s position and informing the Water Police. The position given was found to be inland and the duty operator was unable to reestablish contact with the vessel. The Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra confirmed there were no EPIRB activations. 'False distress calls are both dangerous and a waste of resources,' said Marine Rescue Terrey Hills Unit Commander Ron Woosey. 'In this instance Marine Rescue, Water Police and the Rescue Coordination Centre in Canberra all took the required steps to render assistance, costing hours in wasted time and effort.' Commander Woosey reminds the boating public that intentionally making a false distress call is a criminal offence and can result in rescue resources being diverted away from bona fide incidents. Parents are also reminded to ensure that children are not allowed to play with or around vessel radios.

Logging-on with Marine Rescue not only gives a skipper a life-line should they fail to report in or arrive at a destination but it also gives family members ashore peace of mind. On Tuesday (28 December) evening a family member contacted Marine Rescue Terrey Hills concerned for the welfare of a person on board a vessel. Records indicated that the vessel had not logged-on and despite efforts by the duty operator to call the vessel on the radio they were unable to establish contact. Several hours later the same family member contacted Marine Rescue to advise the person had made contact by phone. 'By logging-on Marine Rescue always knows a vessel’s last known position, destination and estimated time of arrival. This can be a great relief to concerned family members who may not have heard from their loved ones due to poor mobile phone reception at sea,' said Commander Woosey. 'Marine Rescue’s extensive radio coverage footprint and CompassTrack electronic tracking system ensures that once a vessel is logged-on we can keep an eye on and communicate with that vessel.'

Marine Rescue NSW website http://www.marinerescuensw.com.au

Marine Rescue Terrey Hills is known as Marine Rescue Sydney.

PLB Price Breakthrough - KANNAD SAFELINK PLB

e-marineworld has just annouinced new Kannad Safelink will be available soon for $529.00
Pre Oder Today - Stock due 10th December 2010  from e-marineworld
Go Faster, Go Further, Go SOLO.
SafeLink SOLO gives you the freedom to perform to your full potential.
The SafeLink SOLO 406 MHz GPS Personal Location Beacon (PLB) takes your personal safety to a new level. Whether you enjoy boating, diving or any outdoor pursuit which takes you to remote locations around the world, the SafeLink SOLO PLB gives you direct contact with search and rescue services when a life threatening incident occurs anywhere in the world.
The ultra-small SafeLink SOLO is tough and durable, lightweight and compact, designed to be carried with you at all times. The size of the SafeLink SOLO  and it's non-slip rubber armour; designed to protect it in the harshest environments, means the compact life saver can be tucked into a pocket, pouch or personal kit bag and forgotten about until needed. SafeLink SOLO is waterproof to 10 metres and activation is simple. It is supplied complete with a lanyard, a buoyancy pouch and a universal carry pouch; which can be attached to a belt or strap, keeping the SOLO close to hand, in case a life threatening situation necessitates alerting search and rescue organisations.

The SafeLink SOLO PLB is fantastic value for money; it should be a standard piece of equipment  for safety conscious individuals who want peace of mind whilst performing to their full potential.  As more and more people turn away from pyrotechnic flares for distress alerting, due to safety and disposal concerns, the SafeLink SOLO has emerged as a top class alternative for water sports and extreme sports enthusiasts.
The SafeLink SOLO is a 406MHz beacon which operates on the global COSPAS SARSAT satellite communication system, supported by international government search and rescue authorities around the world.  The SOLO is subscription free and does not rely on commercial call centres. It has integral 50-channel GPS which is constantly updated, ensuring that you can be accurately located, thus speeding up the time of rescue. The SafeLink SOLO PLB also transmits on the 121.5MHz homing frequency so that when the emergency services get close they can 'home in' on the signal. Once activated, the SafeLink SOLO PLB will transmit constantly for a minimum of 24 hours, and will operate at temperatures down to -20°C. It also has an SOS LED flashing light that the user can switch on to aid rescue in the dark.
SafeLink SOLO PLB gives you the freedom to Perform to your full potential. Go Faster, Go Further, Go SOLO.

Key Features:

• Internationally approved
• Subscription-free & no call charges
• Compact, light and durable
• Waterproof to 10m and bouyant when used with flotation pouch.
• True global emergency alerting via COSPAS-SARSAT satellites
• 406 MHz international distress signal and 121.5 MHz homing signal
• 50 channel integral GPS
• Minimum of 24 hours continuous operation
• Simple 3 stage activation
• Operates at temperatures down to -20°C
• SOS LED flash light
• Self-test up to 12 times per year
• 5 year replaceable battery life
• Flotation pouch, lanyard and universal pouch included.

For more information see www.e-marineworld.com.au

Sinking of boat probed Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

TIM MARTAIN - THE Mercury | November 28, 2010 12.01am

AN unknown object was responsible for the sinking of a catamaran off Tasmania's East Coast on Friday night, police said.

Two occupants were rescued from the Sea Eagle 5, a 15m catamaran, after it hit the object 15 nautical miles north-east of Maria Island and began taking water just before 9pm on Friday.

The skipper sent out a mayday call, advising that he and one other occupant were launching the life raft and activating their EPIRB distress beacon.

Tasmania Police, in conjunction with AUSSAR and Port Control, co-ordinated the response, deploying a fixed-wing aircraft and the Westpac Police Rescue helicopter to the area as well as the PV Dauntless.

Several other boats were nearby and the skipper of the Annette Margaret headed towards the sinking catamaran, which was seven nautical miles away.

The rescue vessel saw the lights of the sinking catamaran and made contact with the life raft via a hand-held radio.

Both people from the life raft were on the Annette Margaret by 11pm and the rescue vessel arrived at Coles Bay at 5.30am yesterday.

Police said the rescued people were not injured.

The catamaran is now fully submerged with only the top of the mast visible, and its location has been plotted.

The Sea Eagle 5's skipper was debriefed by police, who are working with AUSSAR to determine the cause of the catamaran's sinking.

Sinking of boat probed Tasmania News - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

Missing fishermen found safe and well - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Missing fishermen found safe and well

By Eleni Roussos

Updated Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:18am AEDT

Police are searching for two separate fishing parties. [File image]. (7pm TV News NT)

• Map: Darwin 0800

Northern Territory Police have found two fishing parties which had gone missing overnight in the Top End.

Police were searching for three men who went fishing on the Victoria River yesterday.

"We've had a very concerned wife ring up and say that her husband, her son, and husband's brother went fishing yesterday morning and was supposed to be due back at lunch time," Duty Superintendent Bob Rennie said.

"Unfortunately she didn't know where along the Vic River they were going.

"This morning Timber Creek will check all the ramps out that way between Katherine and Timber Creek, see if we can locate the car and trailer."

The three men were located this morning.

Earlier, police located an 18-year-old fisherman who had gone missing near the Vernon Islands, north of Darwin.

Duty Superintendent Rennie says the man left his trailer at Leaders Creek yesterday morning and had not returned.

He ran out of petrol and was found safe and well.

The officer in charge of the NT Water Police, Steve Martin, says it is important anglers are prepared before they take to the water.

"Please check your flares, check your EPIRB, check your safety gear.

"Make sure you've got the right gear, you've got life jackets on board and they're in good order; that you've got all the required ores, back-up motors if you require them."

Missing fishermen found safe and well - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Woman rescued in late night yacht drama - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Woman rescued in late night yacht drama

Updated Mon Nov 1, 2010 10:58am AEDT

The rescue helicopter was sent but local residents reached the woman first. (ABC News)

• Audio: Inspector Darren Hopkins says the woman was well prepared. (ABC News)
• Map: Bridport 7262

Police in north-east Tasmania say they faced difficult conditions to rescue a New South Wales woman from a stricken yacht last night.

A 56-year-old Sydney woman radioed for help about 10:00 AEDT when her yacht broke away from its anchor and started taking on water in high seas near Bridport.
A rescue helicopter and boat were sent to the yacht and the woman was reached after police and local residents climbed down a cliff.
Inspector Darren Hopkins praised locals residents who helped with the rescue.
He says it was a tricky situation.
"We were confronted with some fairly difficult terrain to get to the stricken yacht and woman," he said.
"Two crews were coming in from both directions with some locals and it took about an hour for us to walk and drive closer to where she was and fortunately, about 1 o'clock this morning, we were able to wade out to the yacht and rescue her from it."
The woman was cold and wet and was taken to hospital for a check.
She had been sailing solo from Sydney to Launceston.
Her 11-metre yacht was equipped with a radio, EPIRB and GPS device and police say without this safety equipment, she may not have been rescued so quickly.
Inspector Hopkins says it could have been much worse.
"She had all the right safety gear, personal flotation devices, a working marine VHF radio, the all-important EPIRB which can help us pinpoint locations very quickly.
"So she had all the right equipment and that certainly contributed to her safety and us finding her quickly."
The yacht has been abandoned and is likely to break up in heavy seas today.

Woman rescued in late night yacht drama - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

www.e-marineworld.com.au

Sail-World.com : Sailor with no EPIRB drifts for days before rescue

 'It can't happen to me.' But yes it can. Another leisure sailor has drifted in the ocean for days before being rescued because he didn't have a registered EPIRB on board his boat.
The Coast Guard rescued a 73-year-old sailor, Richard Steg of Connecticut, who had been adrift at sea since Monday approximately 47-miles east of Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

The crew of the Port Canaveral, Fla., based 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Shrike located Steg adrift at sea aboard the 35-foot single-masted sail vessel Bonvivant. The vessel's engine lost power Monday and sustained a broken mast from heavy weather leaving Steg adrift with no power to control the vessel.

Steg had attempted a mayday distress call that was luckily picked up by the operator of the tug boat 'Calusa Coast' Tuesday evening. Steg soon lost complete power and was left unable to communicate.

The operator of the tug relayed the mayday distress call to Coast Guard Watchstanders at Sector Jacksonville and they launched an HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Savannah, Ga.

The initial search was completed after a two-hour search pattern that covered 273 square-miles, but was abandoned when the light failed.

A first light search commenced the next day with a C-130 air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., and the Cutter Shrike who later located Steg and confirmed he had made the mayday distress call. Steg's last port-of-call was Ponce de Leon Inlet enroute for Groton, Connecticut. This happened off Florida, but the issue is universal.

The Coast Guard reminds all mariners that a maritime emergency can occur at any moment.

Lifejackets should be worn at all times whenever on the water.

In addition, they advise all sailors to maintain a registered emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) aboard your vessel so rescue crews can pinpoint your location in an emergency.

Sail-World.com : Sailor with no EPIRB drifts for days before rescue

See our full range of EPIRBS and PLB's Click Here

Cospas-Sarsat System Overview

Operational use of Cospas-Sarsat by SAR agencies started with the crash of a light aircraft in Canada, in which three people were rescued (September 10, 1982). Since then, the System has been used for thousands of SAR events and has been instrumental in the rescue of over 24,000 lives worldwide.
The basic Cospas-Sarsat concept is illustrated in the adjacent figure.
The System is composed of:

• distress radiobeacons (ELTs for aviation use, EPIRBs for maritime use, and PLBs for personal use) which transmit signals during distress situations;
  
• instruments on board satellites in geostationary and low-altitude Earth orbits which detect the signals transmitted by distress radiobeacons;
  
• ground receiving stations, referred to as Local Users Terminals (LUTs), which receive and process the satellite downlink signal to generate distress alerts; and
  
• Mission Control Centers (MCCs) which receive alerts produced by LUTs and forward them to Rescue Coordination Centers (RCCs), Search and Rescue Points Of Contacts (SPOCs) or other MCCs.

The Cospas-Sarsat System includes two types of satellites:

• satellites in low-altitude Earth orbit (LEO) which form the LEOSAR System
• satellites in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) which form the GEOSAR System

Cospas-Sarsat has demonstrated that the GEOSAR and LEOSAR system capabilities are complementary. For example the GEOSAR system can provide almost immediate alerting in the footprint of the GEOSAR satellite, whereas the LEOSAR system:

• provides coverage of the polar regions (which are beyond the coverage of geostationary satellites);
  
• can calculate the location of distress events using Doppler processing techniques; and
  
• is less susceptible to obstructions which may block a beacon signal in a given direction because the satellite is continuously moving with respect to the beacon.
  

LEOSAR and GEOSAR Capabilities

LEOSAR	GEOSAR
Beacon identification information and location information provided Global coverage, but not instantaneous	Beacon identification provided, and location information available if encoded in beacon message (location protocol beacon) Near instantaneous alerting in the GEOSAR coverage area

Extract from Cospas-Sarsat System Last Updated on Wednesday, 14 October 2009 12:10 

McMurdo FastFind-211 PLB with GPS

Personal Location Beacon (PLB) - Get Found with FAST FIND

- Currently the smallest PLB on the market
- Internationally approved
- Waterproof to 10 metres and buoyant whilst in flotation pouch
- 5 year battery life
- 50 channel GPS transmitter with internal antenna


The Fast Find 211 is a waterproof 406 MHz Personal Location Beacon (PLB) that should be carried by individuals, who are embarking on trips into areas around the world where there is little or no other form of communication or where other forms of communication are unlikely to work. 


The Fast Find acts as your Personal Emergency Location Beacon, it is your last resort communication to the national and international search and rescue bodies and it should not be mis-used. If you go boating, flying, bushwalking, skiing or using a 4WD then a PLB is your best last resort communication tool.
 

For more information click here

 e-marineworld.com.au

McMurdo SmartFind PLUS G5 406 MHz GPS EPIRB Cat II

Meeting the demands of both commercial mariners and recreational boaters, the new McMurdo SMARTFIND Plus heralds the arrival of the next generation in EPIRB technology incorporating a high accuracy 12 channel GPS for enhanced position location and comes complete with a Carry Safe Manual Bracket.
The G5 SMARTFIND PLUS has all the advanced features of the standard E5 SMARTFIND with the addition of an integral 12 channel GPS receiver. The addition of a GPS receiver to the EPIRB ensures that the exact position of a casualty is relayed to the rescue services. This can in turn improve the speed of recovery by updating the position of the beacon at regular intervals.

The Smartfind Plus GPS EPIRB has been designed to enhance further the lifesaving capabilities of conventional beacons. The standard Global Positioning System (GPS) uses an array of 27 satellites and provides continuous positional information with a typical accuracy of around 30m. A 406MHz EPIRB such as the Smartfind Plus or Fastfind Plus PLB has a built in GPS, when the beacon is activated in an emergency, positional information is incorporated into the distress message which it transmits.
This incorporation of positional information overcomes the location problem when using geostationary satellites and can greatly reduce the time it takes for the SAR authorities to arrive on the scene. When speed of response and accuracy of location are important considerations, then the Smartfind GPS EPIRB offers the best performance

Product Features

Non hazardous battery for safe and easy transportation

High brightness LED flashing locator lights

Unique Carry Safe Manual Bracket for safe transportation

Integrated 12 channel GPS (PLUS version)

Comprehensive diagnostic and self-test facilities

Once activated, will transmit for a minimum of 48 hours

5 year warranty

5 year battery life

For more information click here

e-marineworld

GPS versus Non-GPS

A comparison of GPS vs non-GPS 406 MHz distress beacons

Excract from: Australian Maritime Safety Authotity

	406 MHz distress beacons - with GPS	406 MHz distress beacons - Non GPS
Signal type	Digital	Digital
Coverage	The entire globe	The entire globe
Identification	406 beacons have a unique identification code which is part of its signal.	406 beacons have a unique identification code which is part of its signal.
	When properly registered with the Rescue Coordination Centre, Australia, the unique code provides information about the boat or aircraft, or person carrying the beacon. This includes the owner's emergency contact and the country of registration.	When properly registered with the Rescue Coordination Centre, Australia, the unique code provides information about the boat or aircraft, or person carrying the beacon. This includes the owner's emergency contact and the country of registration.
	Allows false alarms to be resolved with a radio or phone call.	Allows false alarms to be resolved with a radio or phone call.
Alert time	The 406 signal may be received within seconds by Geostationary satellites. If detected by a polar orbiting satellite, detection time will be longer. The extra information provided by a 406 will in most cases help authorities locate you faster.	The 406 signal may be received within seconds by Geostationary satellites. If detected by a polar orbiting satellite, detection time will be longer. The extra information provided by a 406 will in most cases help authorities locate you faster.
Location	GPS- Has an accuracy locator of 120 Metres	Orbiting satellites will calculate the position if there is no GPS capability. These orbiting satellites take 90 minutes on average to receive the signal but it may take up to 5 hours depending on the conditions. More information is needed to determine the real location. This usually means at least two satellite passes &/or independent intelligence is required to determine a location and this takes more time. Non GPS has an accuracy locator of 5km
Rescue time	If the 406 beacon is registered, it will enable rescuers to know more about who you are, where you are, what your boat/plane looks like, and your emergency contact. This saves time, and therefore helps rescuers to act more quickly.	Rescuers must wait for confirmation of the beacon's position before sending a search & rescue team. This takes more time. If the 406 beacon is registered, it will enable rescuers to know more about who you are, where you are, what your boat/plane looks like, and your emergency contact. This saves time, and therefore helps rescuers to act more quickly.
Signal Power	5 Watts	5 Watts

Sat Alert RB6 EPIRB

Harnessing the power of 406MHz technology, the RB6 EPIRB is COSPAS-SARSAT approved and boasts improved location accuracy and 48hrs minimum transmit time.

The RB6 beacon features a 5 year replaceable lithium battery, in-built strobe light for night detection and can be owner-registered for added safety.

With the assurance of 406MHz technology and rapid alert time, the RB6 EPIRB is the perfect all-rounder for all outdoor pursuits.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Design: High stability oven-free frequency reference for rapid satellite-compatible transmission. Durable stainless-steel aerial.
Waterproof to a depth of greater than 3 metres. Floats with antenna vertical.

Frequencies: 406.028 MHz satellite communication with 121.500 MHz homing transmitter.

Approvals: Approved by COSPAS-SARSAT, compliant to Australian and New Zealand AS/NZS 4280.1

Emission Spectrum: Oven-free high stability carrier fully compatible with the COSPAS-SARSAT system.

Modulation Characteristics: 160 mS unmodulated carrier, 280 mS bi-phase modulated.

Activation: Manual switch with test facility and green LED pilot light.

Strobe Light : Two high intensity white light emitting diodes, flashed in an attention attracting multiple sequence.

Batteries: Two long-life lithium D cells with greater than 10 year shelf life, recommend replacement after 5 years. (Free Battery Replacement @ 5 Years)*

Dimensions: 25cm long x 8cm diameter. Aerial 38cm with spring-wound base.

Gross Weight: 950 grams

Warranty: 10 Year parts and labour

* The Sat-Alert RB6 EPIRB battery should be replaced by the date engraved on the beacon label, which is 5 years after date of manufacture.  Where a Sat-Alert RB6 EPIRB has never been activated, we offer the first battery replacement free of charge, so the initial purchase yields an effective 10 years battery life. Please note that all transport costs related to battery replacement or warranty claim are to be borne by the purchaser.

More information at e-marineworld