Tin Can Coast Guard and rescue helicopter search near Cooloola Coast

A rescue chopper and the Tin Can Bay Coast Guard spent hours searching for a boat in distress on the Cooloola Coast

Why a helicopter was flying low over Rainbow Beach on Monday night.

Tin Can Bay Coast Guard commander John Macfarlane has called for more care to be taken by boaties when using radio beacons after a distress signal was accidentally set off on Monday night, triggering an intense search by air and sea.

A rescue helicopter and the Tin Can Bay Coast Guard spent hours searching for a “boat in distress”after the Coast Guard received an activation from an EPIRB safety device at 8.30pm.

Everyone appearing in Gympie Magistrates Court today

EPIRBs are often carried by vessels in case of an emergency as they are able to alert search and rescue services, allowing them to quickly locate a troubled boat.

Senior Constable Shannon Gray with a current EPIRB. Photo: Alistair Brightman.

The EPIRB activated at Rainbow Beach on Monday night turned out to be located 300m west of the shore, on land.

Mr Mcfarlane said these “false alarms” happen too often when people don’t turn off their devices once they are back at home.

“They need to be turned off when they're at home because the police will always activate to an EPIRB activation until they can prove it‘s a false alarm,” Mr Macfarlane said.

Tin Can Bay Coast Guard commander John Macfarlane is calling for better care to be taken when using EPIRB machines.

Cost is another factor according to Mr Macfarlane, who said it costs about $5000 an hour to operate a helicopter for no reason.

“They don’t mind going if someone is hurt but when someone’s done something stupid, it's very frustrating,” he said.

By the time crews got back to base it was 10:30pm and Mr Macfarlane then had to complete paperwork until midnight.

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Mr Macfarlane also said the amount of people who threw their EPIRBs into rubbish dumps was “amazing”.

“If it goes off and the first reaction is we've got to find them,” he said.

Sick of chasing people to do the right thing, Mr Macfarlane has urged fisherman to ensure they log off and turn off their EPIRBs after a trip to sea, to avoid wasting everyone’s time.