Marine Rescue Point Danger crews responded to an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) signal off Tweed Heads this afternoon.
Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Steve Raymond said the alarm was raised at 1:08pm today (Friday 11 July).
“A crew from Marine Rescue Point Danger was already on the water assisting another vessel when the distress call came through.
“With the assistance of Marine Rescue Point Danger radio operators, the Marine Rescue NSW vessel was deployed to the location of the EPIRB, approximately five nautical miles east of Point Danger.
“NSW Water Police and NSW Maritime also responded.
“The EPIRB had been activated by the crew of a vessel that had overturned offshore.
“The two males from that vessel were successfully retrieved from the water.
“NSW Police Marine Area Command subsequently tasked Marine Rescue Point Danger with retrieving the overturned vessel.
“It appears as though the vessel has sunk with our crew locating numerous pieces of debris.
“Conditions offshore were favourable and calm for most of the day.
“It is not yet known how the vessel capsized.
“The multi-agency emergency services response to the EPIRB was rapid.
“This incident highlights the importance of boaters carrying an EPIRB on board – it is a life-saving piece of equipment, and this afternoon it did just that: it saved two lives,” Inspector Raymond said.
Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.
