Marine Search – Groote Eylandt Alyangula Police located a 38-year-old man safe and well yesterday after he activated his EPIRB in waters off Groote Eylandt. Senior Sergeant Alex Brennan, Officer in Charge of Alyangula Police Station said the man left Alyangula early yesterday morning and was fishing alone when his vessel suffered mechanical issues. “Fortunately, the man was carrying an EPIRB which alerted Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Alyangula Police commenced and air and sea search for the man and his stricken vessel. “We recommend that people invest in an encoded EPIRB as this type will provide an exact location as soon as the EPIRB is activated. “We were fortunate in this incident that a satellite passed over within half an hour, providing us with an exact location. If we had to wait hours for a satellite this would have created other issues with darkness falling which would have made an air search impossible. “This incident also demonstrated the capabilities of the new Police Stabicraft vessels which have been rolled out across the Top End. “The Police Vessel Alyangula performed very well and was more than capable in yesterday’s rescue. “Police were able to get to the location in good time, locate the male and tow the stricken vessel back to Alyangula without incident. “This is a great outcome and serves as a timely reminder; you must carry an EPIRB as part of your safety equipment on personal vessels, tell someone where you are going and when you are anticipated to return,” said Senior Sergeant Brennan.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 01:30:09 +0000
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