Kayaker attacked by croc saved by EPIRB
Held captive by a croc on an island and saved by his beacon and AMSAHe set out with the best of intentions, a paddling adventure on his kayak in Shoalwater Bay north of Rockhampton, but a local croc had other ideas, attacking the 'yak and bailing up the shaken paddler on a remote island.
The stranded man has since been rescued from the Queensland island after his kayak was attacked by a crocodile thanks to an operation coordinated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
The kayaker activated his personal locator beacon four days after the crocodile left tooth marks on his kayak about 3km off Townshend Island in the Shoalwater Bay area, about 111km north of Rockhampton.
AMSA Search and Rescue detected the beacon about 7am on Saturday, August 6, tasking an RACQ rescue helicopter out of Rockhampton, which was able to land on the beach and transfer the kayaker to safety.
The man had purchased his emergency beacon for a planned trip from Yeppoon to Stanage Bay.
The beacon was not registered but was vital in the rescue of the kayaker, who had exhausted his provisions after being caught in bad weather and being unable to continue his voyage.
AMSA urges anyone venturing into remote areas, on the water and on land, to have a registered GPS encoded beacon.
Registration is free and simple. It can be done online at beacons.amsa.gov.au.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
