An Ocean Signal rescue ME PLB1 was key to saving the lives of two people after a dramatic rescue in the Atlantic Ocean.

Sandy Williamson and his crew, Corey, activated their Ocean Signal personal locator beacon when their 22-foot yellow catamaran started taking on water about 20 nautical miles off the Miami coast.

The US Coast Guard 7th District command centre in Miami received the emergency alert just after 11am on Sunday morning (27th October 2013) and immediately launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter to the area.

Accurate registration of the PLB allowed the coast guard to promptly identify the nature of the vessel in distress and that there were two people on board.

When the aircrew arrived on the scene, the Coast Guardsmen spotted both people in the water using a life jacket and seat cushion for flotation and hoisted them into the helicopter. The pair was then flown to Air Station Miami, where, although shaken and wet, they declined medical treatment and reported no injuries.

The boaters, whose vessel completely sank, had equipped their catamaran with all the safety equipment per USCG regulations, plus the rescueME PLB1 which includes a 66-channel GPS as well as transmitting a 121.5MHz homing beacon. They also carried cell phones, but they were out of range.

They had left Miami on Sunday morning on a fast run between Miami and Bimini Island.

Tags: Ocean Signal