EPIRB activation sends CareFlight crew on four hour search through dump, reminder to dispose of devices correctly
A CAREFLIGHT crew spent hours rifling through piles of rubbish at a dump after a discarded EPIRB was activated
Northern Territory
Don't miss out on the headlines from Northern Territory. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A CAREFLIGHT crew spent hours rifling through piles of rubbish at the Shoal Bay dump after a discarded EPIRB was activated.
The incident happened about two weeks ago with dump staff and a CareFlight crew spending four hours searching for the personal locator device.
A CareFlight spokeswoman said the crew were unable to find the beacon and so bulldozers were used to squash the landfill, deactivating the beacon.
She said Australian Maritime Safety Authority along with CareFlight initially thought the device was in the ocean near the dump however a homing device allowed them to determine the EPIRB was in a rubbish heap.
MORE TOP NEWS
Darwin Council alderman Gary Haslett speaks out on crime after seeing car smashed in with chain
COVID expected to cost Charles Darwin University up to $30 million, report shows
Horrific video shows eScooter rider face plant into Darwin CBD footpath at high speed
After about 8pm CareFlight sent two aircrew officers, a pilot and a nurse to search for the beacon at the Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility. The team was able to drive to the facility because it was close to the CareFlight hanger.
A nurse was sent to accompany the team in the event the distress signal was legitimate and medical treatment was needed.
After an initial two-hour search through landfill, the team confirmed no one was injured. CareFlight liaised with AMSA which approved the search to continue the following day at 7am.
CareFlight Aircrew Officer Kurt Pride said it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. “Unfortunately, some members of the community do not realise the extensive resources that are deployed to identify improperly discarded EPIRBs,” he said.
“We spent more than four hours searching for the beacon, foraging around a mountain of rubbish using a homing device and bulldozers.
OFFER EXTENDED: Amazing NT News subscription offer: Read everything for $1
“It was incredibly frustrating to know that while we were searching in the rubbish tip that our time could have been better spent retrieving a seriously injured child or person and transporting them to hospital.
“Not only is it a misuse of aeromedical resources, but a waste of taxpayer dollars, too.”
Owners of EPIRBs are being urged to look after their devices and dispose of them correctly.
Steps individuals can take include contacting a battery store or maritime safety agency to disconnect the device and dispose of it.
Watch replay: Crocs withstand strong St Mary’s showing in NTFL final round
It may have taken until the final quarter but Southern Districts wrote the only wrong of its 2024-25 NTFL campaign in a hard-fought final round win over St Mary’s. Watch the REPLAY here.
Watch replay: Waratah win big on road to NTFL finals
With the possibility of a finals double-chance still alive, Waratah has done what it needed to do in Saturday’s win over the Darwin Buffaloes on Saturday. Watch the REPLAY here.