The safety of volunteer rescue vessel crew members at Marine Rescue Iluka Yamba has been improved, thanks to a Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) grant.

The $11,985 grant, provided under the FRRR Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program, enabled the unit to purchase state of the art Personal Locator Beacons for rescue vessel crew members.

The beacons have been installed in crew member personal flotation devices (life jackets) and will activate automatically if a life jacket is inflated. The beacons will not only transmit a distress signal to search and rescue authorities via satellite, newly installed Automatic Identification System (AIS) technology means beacons will also transmit a signal that the rescue vessel can receive to quickly locate the person in the water.

The AIS capability means that in extremely dangerous situations such as dark, stormy conditions and/or in rapidly moving flood waters, a crew member in the water can expect a more rapid and effective rescue response from the rescue vessel. In the past, if the rescue vessel was not able to immediately locate a person overboard a broader search by the vessel and other land tasked rescue assets would be required.

Marine Rescue NSW values its volunteers and is always looking for ways to ensure their safety when conducting the Marine Rescue NSW mission of saving lives on the water. This generous grant from FRRR gives our volunteer rescue vessel crew members the confidence to know that if the worst happens, and they end up in the water, the new technology in their personal locator beacon will enable a rapid and effective rescue response.