TWO amateur radio operators helped to bring a search-and-rescue mission to an end after an old maritime distress beacon destined for the scrap heap inadvertently sparked an emergency call-out.
Signals from the personal locator beacon – which alerts the authorities to an emergency at sea – were picked up by a passing satellite at about 10am on Friday.
But because the ageing beacon was not GPS enabled the satellite could only give an approximate location within 20 km of the device – in this case north-west of the Minquiers reef.
The Channel Islands Air Search plane and RNLI all-weather lifeboat were sent out to search the area, and attempt to detect the device’s ‘homing beacon’ transmitted on 121.5 MHz frequency, which would enable them to pinpoint its location.
At the same time, Jersey Coastguard contacted the Jersey RAYNET group of amateur radio operators and asked them to determine if a 121.5MHz signal could be detected on land in the area of La Collette recycling centre, as they had received information that the personal locator beacon had been discarded.
Two members of the RAYNET group verified that a signal was coming from La Collette, and the Channel Islands Air Search plane also flew over and confirmed that the signal was coming from the site.
A member of staff from the recycling centre later told Jersey Coastguard that a pile of discarded electronics had been disturbed at around 9.30am, and it is believed this was the cause of the accidental activation.
