Yesterday evening, AMSA detected an EPIRB activation about 80km north of Townsville, Queensland, from a 7.5m steel recreational vessel, Kaluga Q, with 3 people on board. We tasked our Cairns-based Challenger rescue aircraft to assist with the search. AMSA also sought assistance from a local charter fishing vessel, Tura, and Townsville Volunteer Marine Rescue. At about 8.30pm local time, the Tura and Marine Rescue located the Kaluga Q, transferred the 3 people on board Townsville VMR and towed th

🚨 If your EPIRB can’t see the sky, we can’t see you! 🚨 Last Friday’s successful search and rescue off Rottnest reinforced the importance of correct operation of an EPIRB in an emergency. Whilst rescue agencies received an initial EPIRB position, this early information was only approximate and the signal was lost shortly after due to the vessel capsizing and trapping the EPIRB inside the hull. The upturned vessel, with its occupant sitting on top, drifted significantly north from its original l