Dedicated Search News

The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has ended its sea rescue operation aimed at reducing the number of migrants and asylum seekers killed while trying to cross the Mediterranean from north Africa to Europe, it said on Tuesday. MSF said its three ships had rescued more than 20,000 people in over 120 search and rescue operations during eight months at sea. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said 3,771 people died in 2015 while trying to reach Europe by sea, making the year the deadliest on record for those seeking sanctuary from conflict and poverty. "Whilst we remain absolutely convinced of the importance of dedicated search and rescue in saving lives…

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has coordinated the search and rescue of a solo kayaker off northern New South Wales. AMSA Search and Rescue officers were contacted by the International Emergency Response Centre in the United States about 10.30am (AEDT) on Monday when the kayaker activated the SOS function on a two-way satellite communication system. He had advised his partner he was not in distress but was experiencing steering problems. NSW Water Police activated a vessel from Coffs Harbor to assist at the time. A distress beacon was subsequently activated soon before 2.15pm when AMSA assumed coordination of the incident. A broadcast to shipping was issued and a merchant vessel in the vicinity responded.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) coordinated the rescue of two men early this morning East of Darwin. About 4.30am AEDT this morning, AMSA detected an unregistered distress beacon 166km east of Darwin near the Alligator Rivers region in Arnhem Land. AMSA tasked its Darwin based dedicated search and rescue Dornier aircraft and a Careflight rescue helicopter to respond. On arrival at the site of the original beacon detection, two large eskies were seen floating in the water. The strobe light of the distress beacon was then seen on nearby mud flats and two men were located about 6.40am AEDT. It is understood the men’s boat sank early this morning and the men were able to swim to the mud flats. AMSA strongly encourages people to register their distress beacon.

The crew onboard a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-130J Hercules transport aircraft helped rescue a lone sailor during a maritime emergency off Lord Howe Island. The C-130J Hercules from Number 37 Squadron at RAAF Richmond responded to a call for help from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). The C-130J was one of four aircraft AMSA called to assist, including AMSA’s Essendon based dedicated search and rescue Dornier aircraft, a civil aircraft and a Customs and Border Protection Dash 8. The sailor activated his Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) and rescuers found the 10m steel-hull yacht, adrift. The skipper reported that his yacht had lost his rudder.

IMO informs that new requirements under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to require all ships to have plans and procedures to recover persons from the water are among a set of SOLAS amendments that came into force on 1 July 2014. The SOLAS amendments, adopted in 2012, were developed as part of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s work on large passenger ship safety and are aimed at ensuring all ships have the capability to effectively serve as a rescue asset and have the right equipment to be able to rescue persons from the water and from survival craft, in the event of an incident. This new requirement is intended to enhance safety at sea and also to provide support to search and rescue coordinators in all types of rescue operations and…