Call to register locator beacons after accidental activation

A PLB Personal Locator Beacon - Marie Cresswell and Clive Cresswell, Tolaga Bay, were rescued by police, LandSAR, Land Search and Rescue, and the Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter, after activating their PLB Personal Locator Beacon in the Ruahine Range eastern foothills area between Sparrow Hawk Spur and Colenso Spur, Central Hawke's Bay. 07 October 2016 NEWS Hawke's Bay Today Photograph by Duncan Brown. RGP 30Mar17 -

Registering Personal Locator Beacons is a great way to ensure emergency resources are used well, says the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter team.

The crew on Wednesday responded to an early afternoon call-out after the NZ Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC) was alerted to a PLB activation at Tokomaru Bay.

After a short search over the sea it was determined that the activation was accidental and the PLB owner was safe and well.

However, by that time NZ Police were also involved, and Maritime NZ had put out a call for boats in the area to be on the lookout.

“That is exactly how the system is supposed to work as, if anyone is in distress or danger, quick action is needed,” says Eastland Rescue Helicopter pilot Mike Fitzgerald.

“But inadvertent activations do happen and if the PLB was registered, RCC would have been able to determine early on that search action was not necessary.”

A keen hunter and fisher, Mr Fitzgerald has his own PLB which he registered immediately after purchase via Maritime NZ’s beacons.org.nz webpage.

“You just go online and fill out a couple of forms for free registration,” he says.

“It only takes a couple of minutes but could be a critical time-saver in the future.”