AMSA assisted the Townsville Water Police in two incidents on Sunday. The first incident involved the search for a six metre vessel that was taking on water about 75km north east of Townsville.
AMSA was advised by Townsville Police at about 9.30am yesterday of the incident and tasked its Cairns based dedicated search and rescue Dornier aircraft to assist the Queensland Government rescue helicopter and Townsville Coastguard in the search.
The five people on board were rescued by the Townsville Coastguard.
AMSA's Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia) also responded to a distress beacon in the Townsville area at about 10.40am yesterday. The beacon was activated after a vessel with two people on board broke down. The vessel was also reported overdue to police.
The Queensland Government rescue helicopter and Ingham Volunteer Marine Rescue were tasked by police to assist, while AMSA again tasked the Cairns based Dornier aircraft.
The vessel was located by the Dornier aircraft and the people on board were rescued by Water Police about 11km north west of Rattlesnake Island off the coast of Townsville.
The distress beacon in this incident was unregistered. AMSA reminds people to register their beacon for free on AMSA's beacons website or by calling 1800 406 406.
Having your distress beacon registered means AMSA can contact you or a relative or a friend if your beacon is activated and determine the nature of distress, your location and what your boat, vehicle or plane looks like. This assists emergency authorities to get help to you as soon as possible.
RCC Australia coordinated the search and rescue of two people in the Torres Strait yesterday after an emergency beacon was activated at about 2.15pm.
RCC Australia tasked a fixed-wing aircraft in the area and a rescue helicopter to respond. The rescue helicopter located a broken down dory 33km south west of Murray Island and transported the pair to safety. The beacon in this incident was also unregistered.
RCC Australia is also currently assisting the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Honiara in the Solomon Islands in the search for 10 people missing near Indispensable Reef since Friday, 27 June. AMSA has issued a broadcast to shipping, and tasked a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP3 aircraft from Darwin yesterday to assist in the search. The AP3 aircraft dropped datum marker buoys in the area yesterday and RCC Australia is assisting MRCC Honiara with drift modelling.