Post by Donlin Stud on Apr 11, 2016 2:13:39 GMT
A story that may bring a smile to your dial..................and a warning to those who may have an Emergency Position Indicating Radion Beacon (EPIRB) that may need de registering
These couldn't only be Australian where most of us are way out the back of Bourke somewhere........LOL meaning the middle on nowhere 
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Cattle spark emergency response after setting off EPIRB south of Darwin
April 10, 2016 12:28pm
COURTNEY TODD from the Northern Territory News
Cattle set off an EPIRB south of Darwin, sparking an emergency response.
A HERD of cattle had Adelaide River police on the trot after the bovines activated an emergency beacon on a cattle station south of Darwin.
Territory Duty Superintendent Brendan Muldoon said a cow stood or chewed on an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) Saturday evening, setting off the device and sending police rushing to Pell Station, 90km from Darwin.
“When the EPIRB was activated, a signal was sent to (the Maritime Safety Authority in) Canberra and they picked up the phone and called us here at the police communication centre in Darwin,” he said.
“As we treat all EPIRB activations as life threatening, we had to call members in and send them out to investigate.”
At 6pm two police officers from Adelaide River raced to the EPIRB GPS coordinates, with help from Pell Station staff, only to find a paddock of grazing cattle.
As the cows weren’t forthcoming with information, police didn’t find the EPIRB until after sun set.
When it became dark, the members were able to spot the flashing light on the EPIRB,” Supt Muldoon said.
The two officers quickly deducted that the EPIRB had been activated by one of the cows that had trampled on the device and even tried to eat it.
Supt Muldoon said the device was not registered but was traced to a helicopter company from Katherine.
“Apparently (in March) they were mustering cattle using helicopters and the EPIRB had fallen out of the chopper,” he said.
“The device will be deactivated — the battery will be disconnected — and it will either be returned to the owner or destroyed.”
The Duty Superintendent said the incident highlighted the importance of registering EPIRBs.
“If an EPIRB is registered, we can pick up the phone and ask ‘is this your EPIRB and who has it’,” he said.
“It can save a lot of resources.”
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority advised the NT News that it is a crime to maliciously set off an EPIRB but if the cattle did it by accident, they would not face any charges.