Sunday 30 March 2014
The civil jet and Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orion tasked by AMSA to locate the source of an emergency distress beacon signal have not been able to locate the vessel associated with the beacon. Grave concerns are held for the crew.
Early on Sunday 30 March, AMSA detected the emergency beacon signal in the Southern Indian Ocean near Antarctica around 3,241 km southwest of Perth and 648 km north of the Antarctic mainland in the Australian Search and Rescue Region.
It is understood the beacon is registered to a 75-metre Tanzanian-flagged fishing support vessel.
AMSA has been unable to contact the vessel and a broadcast has been issued to shipping.
A civil jet and a RAAF P3 Orion were tasked to locate the vessel.
The vessel was not located but debris was seen in the location of the beacon signal.
Subject to weather conditions, the search will continue tomorrow. AMSA is also attempting to identify and contact the owners of the vessel to establish its whereabouts.