A Tasmanian Police Kawasaki BK 117 rescue/Emergency medical services helicopter had earlier winched off the owner-yachtsman in 8 m waves on 16 April 2006 (Easter day), after he set off his EPIRB (radio beacon).
The vessel's EPIRB emergency beacon went off around 8:00am AST (UTC-9), at the beginning of the 2005 opilio crab hunting season.
Each team was required to carry an EPIRB Distress radiobeacon, a satellite phone and a 3G mobile telephone (in a sealed envelope).