Distress Beacon Detected off South American Coast

 Based on data received from the Inmarsat system on February 14, 2024 at 11:56:44 UTC, a distress beacon was detected near the South American coast.

The beacon, identified as a standard location EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon), was registered in the Netherlands. Its last transmitted position placed it at 52° 44.73' South and 105° 54.00' West, approximately 300 miles south of Isla Desolation, Chile.

The message indicates the beacon was first detected at 02:49:06 UTC and last detected at 02:50:42 UTC on February 14th. The position information is reported to be accurate within 2 seconds of latitude and longitude and was acquired via internal GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

Unfortunately, the message does not provide any further details about the vessel or individuals in distress. It is unclear whether the beacon was activated intentionally or accidentally.

Authorities are likely responding to the distress signal:

• The alert was detected by MEOSAR, a satellite-based search and rescue system, indicating relevant search and rescue teams have been notified.
• The Netherlands, as the country of registration, will be involved in coordinating the response.

Due to the limited information available, it is impossible to speculate further on the nature of the distress. It is important to await official updates from search and rescue authorities for any further details.

UPDATE:

Today, February 15 at 23:00 UTC, at a latitude of 54°S and 105°W longitude, approximately 1200 miles from the nearest land, Canadian skipper William MacBrien was successfully rescued from his sinking yacht Phoenix by the Japanese cargo ship Watatsumi.

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