ESPERANCE Police Senior Sergeant Paul Humphries informed that an incident involving a commercial fishing vessel that failed to make anticipated communication should serve as a reminder to all commercial and recreation fishers to always monitor emergency radio services. It is said that the vessel was found safe after the incident.
It is informed that shark fishing vessel The Investigator departed Bandy Creek Boat Harbour on Monday August 4, and was last seen on Tuesday August 5 heading for Eucla. The Esperance police were notified when the captain of the vessel, Scott Horton, failed to make contact with his wife over the weekend. Even police failed in their attempts to contact the vessel on both satellite phone and emergency radio frequencies then a police air wing search plane was dispatched from Perth.
But the vessel was found fishing off the Eastern group of islands on Thursday morning with both the captain and his crew-member safe and well. According to Horton he was grateful for the concern from the authorities. He added that even though there wasn’t a problem on our part, it was comforting to know that all the systems were in place to find somebody if something did go wrong. Snr Sgt Humphries said the incident should reinforce the need to make clear arrangements. He told that the incident serves as a timely reminder to all fishing vessels to make clear, specific plans in regards to departure and return, and also communication.
Snr Sgt Humphries explained that vessels should always monitor emergency radio frequencies and remain in contact with other vessels, either through radio frequencies or through the use of a satellite phone.
