The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) joined forces with Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) this week to complete a successful search and rescue mission in the Coral Sea, off Mackay, Queensland.
On Friday 28 February 2025 at 10 pm AEDT, AMSA received a distress beacon alert from a vessel located about 740 km east of Mackay.
A Lithuanian rower was on a rowing journey from San Diego to Brisbane when he was caught in the Tropical Cyclone, Alfred.
During the following three days, AMSA worked closely with Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force to coordinate the search and rescue of the rower. This included tasking AMSA's own Cairns and Melbourne based Challenger jets, RAAF P-8A Poseidon and the Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Choules.
The rescue was successfully concluded by Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Choules crew around 8 am AEDT on Monday morning, 3 March 2025.
AMSA Response Centre Manager, Kevin McEvoy, thanked the Australian Defence Force, Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy for their assistance.
"This rescue mission highlights the collaborative and cooperative arrangements which facilitate these lifesaving services in Australia's vast search and rescue region. AMSA is grateful for the promptness and readiness of Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Australian Navy in helping to bring the rower safely to Australian shores."
"The rower activated his personal locator beacon early on and that allowed for a prompt respond and a good outcome," Mr McEvoy said.
Background:
AMSA is responsible for coordinating aviation and maritime search and rescue in Australia.
AMSA is obliged by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990 to coordinating these lifesaving services in Australia, which is signatory to a number of international conventions that ensure the safety of life at sea and in the air. These include International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue 1979 and Convention on International Civil Aviation 1994.
