A GME MT600 EPIRB was used in the rescue of a man and his dog after the vessel they were in ran aground off Corio Bay, Queensland on the 19th of June, 2020.
Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Australia responded to the detection of a beacon that was registered to a 9m yacht, located off Corio Bay, 10 Nautical Miles north of Yeppoon. The vessel, with one person on board was confirmed to have also made a VHF Mayday call after running aground. The JRCC tasked the Rockhampton Rescue helicopter and the Cairns Challenger aircraft to assist in locating the vessel. Yeppoon Water Police tasked the Yeppoon Volunteer Marine Rescue Vessel to respond. The rescue helicopter soon arrived on scene and confirmed that the vessel was dragging anchor with strong wind and swell conditions, and the solo crewman had injuries to his hands.
The Yeppoon Volunteer Marine Rescue were initially concerned that they wouldn’t be able to reach the stricken vessel, however they arrived on scene and subsequently took the vessel in tow. The yacht was towed to a safe anchorage at North Keppel, and the survivor and his dog were recovered back to Yeppoon where the survivor was met by an ambulance and transported to hospital for treatment of his injuries.
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 to sea.
For more information on the MT600 used in this rescue click here.