19
Aug

GME EPIRB aids in the rescue of father and sons off Dawesville

A GME MT600G EPIRB assisted in the rescue of a father and his two young sons after their vessel capsized while fishing off Dawesville, WA on the 14th of August 2021.

Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Australia detected the activation of an emergency beacon registered to a 5.3m vessel with a position 10NM offshore from Mandurah, WA.

JRCC Australia transferred coordination to the Fremantle Water Police, who were already responding to a radio distress call from a vessel in the area that had been swamped by a large wave and was rapidly taking on water.

Fremantle Water Police tasked a rescue vessel and helicopter to the scene to locate the stricken vessel before light faded, with assistance from Mandurah Marine Rescue.

Fremantle Water Police discovered the father and his young boys clinging to the upturned vessels bow, successfully recovered them, and transported them to Peel Health Campus for treatment of Hypothermia and Jellyfish stings.

The father later explained that he had grabbed a handheld VHF radio as it floated free from the vessel and made an emergency distress call around 5pm.

He then dived under the capsized vessel to retrieve and activate his GME EPIRB, which enabled rescue crews to locate the trio quickly and accurately.

This serves to remind us how important it is to carry PLBs and EPIRBs and ensure that their registration details are up to date before heading out on any adventure.

For more information on our range of emergency beacons click here.