Marine Rescue in Darwin

Northern Territory Police along with the Australian Defence Force responded to an EPIRB activation near Darwin on Monday.

At around 2pm, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre received an EPIRB activation from a vessel carrying three men, aged 21, 61 and 62, in the vicinity of Charles Point.

The trio had been out fishing when their boat suddenly took on water and overturned in matter of minutes. A Royal Australian Navy Patrol Boat located the men and transported them to a Water Police vessel before they were taken back to Darwin.

Acting Senior Sergeant Anthony Clarke said, “While definitely shaken from the ordeal, luckily none of these fishos were injured after spending nearly an hour clinging to their overturned boat.

“The successful response to this incident can be attributed to excellent communication between all responding agencies and also to the owner of the boat who had everything required at hand, including his mobile phone and EPIRB safely stowed in easy to reach waterproof grab bags.

“NT Water Police returned to the semi-submerged vessel, towed it into a sheltered bay and tied it off so it did not drift and become a navigation hazard to passing vessels.”

/Public Release. View in full here.