MNZ slams tramper for apparent misuse of beacon
In early February, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ), a crown entity whose responsibilities include maritime safety and search and rescue, strongly critised the actions of a man who appeared to have activated a personal locator beacon ‘simply because he was running late and wanted a ride to his car’. His actions wasted time, taxpayers’ money, and potentially put others at risk, said MNZ.
In early February, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ), a crown entity whose responsibilities include maritime safety and search and rescue, strongly critised the actions of a man who appeared to have activated a personal locator beacon ‘simply because he was running late and wanted a ride to his car’. His actions wasted time, taxpayers’ money, and potentially put others at risk, said MNZ.
The man, who was hiking in the Otoko River area, activated his beacon at around 16:30 hrs on 7 February. The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) tasked the Solid Energy Rescue Helicopter from Greymouth, which located the man, only to find that he was uninjured.
MNZ general manager of rescue and response services Nigel Clifford commented that if the beacon was activated simply because the man was late, then this was entirely inappropriate, potentially dangerous, and a clear breach of the radio regulations that apply to emergency distress beacons: “The incident tied up a helicopter for around two and a half hours, at a cost of around $10,000 to taxpayers, and more importantly meant that aircraft was unavailable for any other genuine emergency that may have arisen.”
Clifford contrasted the incident with two other beacon activations that were made on 7 February, which were ‘entirely appropriate’. He explained: “Yesterday, there were two other beacon activations – one by a tramper injured in the Olivine River area near Glenorchy, and the other by a tramper who had fallen ill just north of Glentanner near Lake Pukaki. Both these activations were by people who were debilitated and at risk.”
MNZ explained that the tramper in the Olivine River area activated his beacon at around 19:00 hrs and the RCCNZ tasked Southern Lakes Helicopters to fly to the position. He was found to be suffering from a stomach complaint and had not eaten in two days. He was flown to Te Anau for treatment.
After the tramper in the Glentanner area activated his beacon at around 22:00 hrs, the Mount Cook Department of Conservation search and rescue team located the man at 00:40 hrs. He was suffering from a broken arm and was later picked up by an aircraft operated by The Helicopter Line and taken to Timaru.
New Zealand radio regulations permit the use of emergency distress beacons by general users, but are clear that the beacon should only be used in an emergency situation, said MNZ. Penalties for the misuse of beacons range from a formal warning, to an infringement notice penalty of $250, up to prosecution, which carries a maximum fine of $30,000. MNZ said it would consider what action to take with regard to this specific incident.
Clifford added: “While the decision to activate a beacon is one that only the person carrying it can make, depending on their circumstances, it is not a decision that should be taken lightly. It is certainly not a taxi service.”