Thousands on boats, but nothing on distress beacons: Rescuer marvels

7:41 PM Sat 1 Jan 2011 GMT

'The key benefits of a GPS equipped EPIRB, are faster detection by the geo-stationary satellites, typically less than ten minutes.' Garmin Click Here to view large photo

Three men who were eventually rescued, one in a life-threatening condition, could have been rescued within an hour if only they'd had a distress beacon, according to a New Zealand Rescuer coordinator, who described people's actions as 'extraordinary'. 'It's extraordinary,' Rescue Coordination Centre officer Michael Roberts told Radio New Zealand , 'that people will spend thousands of dollars on boats and yet will not spend a few hundred on a distress beacon.' The three men capsized while sailing off Wellington's south coast and were separated from their boat. The men, in their early 30's, were taken to Wellington hospital where one was in ...

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by Sail-World Cruising