Personal Locator Beacon News

The owner and skipper of a rowing vessel has received a 12-month prison sentence after a 21-year-old was lost overboard in the middle of the Atlantic.In February 2016, Michael Johnson was swept overboard by a large wave in the North Atlantic Ocean, between the Canary Islands and Barbados, during a world record row attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 32 days. The seven remaining crew members on board were unable to save Johnson.Simon Chalk, owner of the rowing boat Toby Wallace…

Voluntary near-miss reporting scheme CHIRP Maritime is celebrating its 20th anniversary by introducing a new fishing sector safety newsletter alongside its regular 'Maritime FEEDBACK' editions.Adam Parnell, CHIRP Director (Maritime), says: “We hope to create a safe and non-judgemental learning environment where fishers can share, and learn from, the experiences of others. This helps to prevent similar incidents in the future and contributes to a safer maritime environment overall.”The…

Emergency distress signal manufacturer Wescom Group has expanded its  presence in the marine survival market with the acquisition of Marine Rescue Technologies (MRT).The UK-based personal locator beacon manufacturer became part of Wescom Group from November 2, 2022, further enhancing the groups’ profile as a primary source of marine distress and safety signaling.Wescom Group, which is aiming to grow its portfolio of marine survival solutions, said the acquisition of MRT enables the business to provide both pyrotechnic and electronics signaling products for both customers and partners.

Severe winds during a thunderstorm led to a loss of stability and ultimately the capsizing of the liftboat Seacor Power, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday during a public board meeting. Of the 19 people aboard the vessel, six died and seven are missing, presumed dead. Six people were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard and other vessels. The Seacor Power, valued at $25 million, was a total loss.On April 13, 2021, the Seacor Power, a liftboat supporting offshore work on oil-producing platforms, capsized off the coast of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

A Gibralter-flagged car carrier rescued three Canadian mariners from their disabled sailing vessel in heavy seas of the North Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.Watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard's 5th District Command Center received notification from the Bermuda Rescue Coordination Center that a personal locator beacon was activated, watchstanders then determined the location of the three boaters in distress aboard the Esmeralda approximately 140 miles northeast of Bermuda.The captain of the sailing vessel informed the Bermuda Rescue Coordination Center that he had activated his emergency position indicating radio beacon after his concern…

A U.S. Coast Guard vessel capsized on Saturday with four crew members aboard near Pier 39 in Astoria, Ore.Four Coast Guardsmen were aboard the 26-foot Coast Guard Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boat conducting routine operations when the vessel reportedly encountered a series of heavy wakes that came over the bow, which resulted in an unrecoverable starboard list that capsized the vessel, the Coast Guard said.At 11:39 a.m., watchstanders at the 13th Coast Guard District command…

A good Samaritan sailing vessel rescued six people from a sinking sailing vessel early Monday 14 miles west north west of Hog Cay, Bahamas. Watchstanders with the Coast Guard 7th District Command Center received a 406 megahertz personal locator beacon distress alert and the Halifax Joint Rescue Coordination Centre received a report from the sailing vessel Serenity, within the same area as the PLB alert, stating they were taking on water and abandoning ship. The Serenity crew stated they had two adults, four children and two dogs aboard. The watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew to search. The airplane crew arrived on scene and saw an SOS signal from the Serenity crew.

ACR Electronics, Inc., shares a milestone registration update from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database which recently hit a record number of 500,000 registered 406 MHz emergency beacons. The beacon to make that milestone was an ACR Electronics ResQLink Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), owned by a Coast Guard Auxiliary member in Rhode Island. Shortly after that the 500,001st beacon successfully registered was an ARTEX Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT). Beacons come in three designs used for different applications. Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) which are mounted on boats, Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) used by outdoors enthusiasts and Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs), which are installed on airplanes.

Communication and safety at sea specialist Ocean Signal and manufacturer of marine electronic equipment AMI Marine have formed a new partnership to collaborate on product development for the large commercial vessel sector. Combining the specialist knowledge and extensive technical background of two of the UK’s most experienced marine companies, the cooperation facilitates a unique capability to incorporate the latest technology within new solutions to fulfil demand for next generation, mandated equipment.

Drew Marine, a provider of technical solutions and services for the maritime, defense and aviation industries, announced its acquisition of NAL Research Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of Iridium tracking and communications equipment. The financial terms of the acquisition were not released. NAL Research will team up with ACR Electronics, Inc., a brand of Drew Marine known as a leader in safety and survival technologies. The acquisition allows Drew Marine to expand its footprint into the Iridium tracking and communication product offering. NAL brings an experienced research and development team that specializes in Iridium satellite modems and tracking terminals from design through integration for the defense, research and commercial sectors.

The Coast Guard rescued six people in three separate search-and-rescue cases Saturday along the Washington and Oregon coastline. On Saturday morning, the Coast Guard rescued three people near Coos Bay, Oregon when their boat overturned. On Saturday evening, two kayakers were stranded between Hope Island and Whidbey Island, Washington when their kayaks capsized and required assistance. Additionally, a 58-year-old man was retrieved from the water after falling from D dock at the Port of Ilwaco, Washington. At approximately 5 p.m., Saturday, a watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a report from 911 dispatch of a male and female kayaker who capsized on the northeast side of Whidbey Island between Whidbey and Hope Islands.

The Coast Guard is urging people to use extreme caution when venturing onto the ice across Lake Superior, St. Marys River, and the northern parts of lakes Michigan and Huron with the forecasted rain and snow predicted this weekend. The snow-covered ice will give a false appearance that the ice is safe. Ice is unpredictable and the thickness can vary, even in small areas. Water currents, particularly around narrow spots, bridges, inlets and outlets, are always suspect for thin ice. Stay away from cracks, seams, pressure ridges, slushy areas and darker areas since these signify thinner ice. Obstructions such as rocks, logs, vegetation and pilings affect the strength of ice. Heat from these obstructions slows ice formation.

Emergency personnel are responding to a 28-foot lobster boat ablaze near Ipswich, Mass., Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard reported. The lobster boat’s operator hailed Coast Guard watchstanders at about 9:30 a.m. stating his boat Dawn Breaker was on fire and he was abandoning ship after attempting to put out the fire with a portable fire extinguisher. The man donned his immersion suit, gave his exact location from his portable VHF radio and jumped from the burning boat into the water, taking with him his personal locator beacon. He was picked up by a nearby vessel in less than 15 minutes. U.S.

On the two-year anniversary of a tragic boating accident near Sandusky, Ohio, the U.S. Coast Guard is reminding Great Lakes boaters who may be thinking about venturing out on the area's lakes and rivers to consider that the water remains dangerously cold despite warming air temperatures. At the start of spring each year, Great Lakes Coast Guard crews respond to dozens of cold water accidents involving boaters lured to the lakes by warm air temperatures, and these frequently result in hypothermia and death. April 6, 2013, a father and his 12-year-old daughter went kayaking in Sandusky Bay. A friend reported them missing the following morning when the pair failed to return. They were last seen wearing sweatpants and hoodies with no life jackets.

Two men are safe after the Coast Guard rescued them from their partially submerged vessel near Everglades National Park Tuesday morning. Coast Guard 7th District Command Center watchstanders received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon signal Tuesday morning, quickly triangulated the area to search and launched a Coast Guard Air Station Miami MH-65 dolphin rescue helicopter crew along with a Coast Guard Station Marathon boatcrew to assist. Both assets arrived on scene within an hour and found two men knee deep in water aboard their partially submerged sailboat 10 miles west of Flamingo Marina, Florida. The smallboat crew safely pulled the two men from the vessel using heaving lines due to the shallow depth of water and the possibility of running aground themselves.

ACR Electronics, Inc.expands their marine survival gear offerings by adding two new USCG approved distress flares, the Aurora Red Hand Flare and the Orange Hand Smoke signal. Built by the world leading manufacturer of commercial marine pyrotechnics, these non-SOLAS flares are the first specifically designed to perform like commercial marine flares, but at half the price. ACR has a longstanding history of manufacturing and providing high-quality emergency safety products. With the addition of Aurora pyrotechnics, ACR will be the only company to provide the U.S. consumer market end-to-end safety signaling solutions. The Aurora Red Hand Flare is USCG approved for day or night emergency signaling.

Coast Guard crews at Station Burlington, Vermont, are urging Lake Champlain locals and visitors to use extreme caution on the lake and surrounding waters this weekend. With more snow forecasted, unsafe ice may be hidden from view and poses greater danger than normal as the added weight of the snow decreases density of the ice. "The thing folks need to recognize is that while beautiful and enjoyable, ice is also deadly - especially when conditions like these exist," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Knight, officer of the day at Coast Guard Station Burlington. Remember ICE: Information, Clothing, and Equipment. People are encouraged to research information about the weather conditions, wear appropriate clothing, and never go out onto the ice without proper safety equipment.

“When it comes to passenger suits for helicopter transfer, there are a number of commonly used materials and features that are well-suited to the task,” says Jens Peter Kruse, Vice President, PPE at leading maritime and fire safety equipment manufacturer and service provider VIKING Life-Saving Equipment. Jens Peter is referring to VIKING’s latest addition to what is already the widest range of ETSO- approved suits on the market: the PS5040 suit, the newest in advanced PPE clothing for transferring personnel to and from offshore platforms. “It may appear that this new suit has been designed from the ground up. In reality however, we’ve included materials and features that are popular in today’s suits.

Rescues in Saginaw Bay, Michigan, Sunday evening and Lake Erie Monday morning are the latest in an alarmingly high number of Great Lakes ice rescues since Saturday, prompting a Coast Guard reminder of the risk of venturing out onto the ice and of the importance of taking appropriate safety precautions. The names and hometowns of the rescued and assisted are not being released. At about 7:30 p.m. Sunday, a 911 operator contacted search-and-rescue controllers at the Coast Guard Sector Detroit Command Center to report a disoriented man on Saginaw Bay in blizzard conditions. The man called 911 from his cell phone, allowing the dispatchers to determine his coordinates before losing communication with him.

Coast Guard rescued five people from a sinking 65-foot sailing vessel approximately 120 miles off the Monterey coast, Saturday. At approximately 8 a.m. Saturday, the 11th Coast Guard District Command Center received a distress signal from a personal locator beacon. A C17 transport aircraft under Oakland Center Control, flying at approximately 5,000 feet, visually identified the sailing vessel in the vicinity of the alert location and confirmed that the sailing vessel Flyin’ Hawaiian was taking on water. The Coast Guard responded with one Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento HC-130H Hercules aircrew. The crew was able to contact and divert the Aqualeader, a tank ship that was 24 miles from the sailing vessel's location.

The Coast Guard 9th District is warning Great Lakes boaters that falling water temperatures pose safety risks even as air temperatures stay warm. The National Weather Service reports that the water temperatures in Lake Superior are already reaching 50 F, with lakes Ontario, Huron, Erie and Michigan down to 60 F after summer temperatures approaching 80 F. "Warm air temperatures can create a false sense of security for boaters," said Mike Baron, recreational boating safety specialist for the Coast Guard 9th District. "Cool water drains body heat up to 25 times faster than cool air. Great Lakes weather is unpredictable and dangerous, especially during seasonal transitions. Paddlers are at a higher risk of hypothermia, because they are more likely to get wet than power boater.

The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan found and rescued a man Saturday morning, who had been missing since Friday afternoon on lower Lake Michigan. The Coast Guard is not releasing the man’s name and there is no imagery of video available. At 6:25 p.m., Friday, a watchstander at Coast Guard Station Calumet Harbor in Chicago received notification from a woman reporting her husband missing in Lake Michigan. The wife reported that he was to sail in his 24-foot boat from Diversey Harbor in Chicago and arrive in New Buffalo, Michigan, at 4 p.m., but had not arrived or contacted her. The man did not have his cell phone or a marine radio aboard the boat, but did have a life jacket and emergency flares.

The McMurdo range of Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) MOB devices will be on display in booth D92 at the 2014 Newport International Boat Show, September 11-14 at the Newport Yachting Center in Newport, Rhode Island. The compact McMurdo Smartfind Plus G5 GPS EPIRB features a high performance, multi-channel GPS which brings the location accuracy down to typically less than 62 meters, greatly increasing the chances of rescue in an emergency situation.