The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which
manages the registration database in the U.S. for all PLBs, EPIRBs and
related beacons, has recently added a new category for a beacon-related
rescue— fishing gear.
In the middle of this intriguing story is a recently purchased AquaFix™
Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) manufactured by ACR Electronics, Inc. in
Fort Lauderdale.
The story starts early in the morning of October 19th when recreational
fisherman Eric Pierce of Boca Raton returned to the dock after a night
of swordfishing. While trailering his 31-foot sport fisherman, a fishing
buddy grabbed Pierce’s fishing gear and set it on the dock—some
$6,000-plus in gear, including a recently purchased ACR PLB.
Pierce trailered his boat and drove home, none the wiser that he had
left all of his gear sitting on the dock. Two days later he checked his
boat and found no gear, and after some quick calls he learned it had
been left behind at the dock.
After checking with the city’s dock manager and leaving his contact
information should anyone turn in the gear, Pierce called staff at NOAA
to report a missing Personal Locator Beacon. NOAA dutifully took the
information and suggested Pierce fill out and file a report with local
police.
“I figured the gear was gone, but thought I would follow through the
next day with the report,” Pierce recalled.
As he sat down to fill out the police report, the phone rang and it was
NOAA calling to say they had located Pierce’s missing gear.
The explanation was that around 3:30 am on that same morning, Captain
Rick Occhipinti of Snapperhead Fishing Charters in Boca Raton pulled up
to the same Palmetto Dock in Boca Raton and found the gear.
“Captain Rick went through my bags and couldn’t find any trace of the
owner’s identity, except for the PLB, which carried a unique
identification code,” said Pierce. “He knew that all beacons were
required to be registered with NOAA and was counting on the fact that I
filed my data, which I did.”
Captain Rick said he first went back to the dock hoping that a note from
the owner would have been left behind (Pierce later tried to put up a
flyer but park rangers wouldn’t allow it). Captain Rick then called NOAA
and explained that he had found the gear, which included a PLB. NOAA
pulled the registration data, which now included a report about the
missing gear, and took Captain Rick’s contact information.
“I told my friends that if another fisherman found the gear that I would
get it back. We’re a really close fraternity,” said Pierce, who has been
fishing South Florida waters for the past 35 years.
So thrilled to get his gear returned, Pierce offered the captain a
reward.
“I offered him cash or a fishing trip, and he took the fishing trip,”
said Pierce. “I certainly respect him for what he did and will tell
everyone that I know how important it is to register those emergency
beacons. They save lives, and in my case they saved my gear.”
Upon hearing the story, ACR Electronics’s management decided to also
reward Captain Rick. They shipped him a ResQFix™ 406 Personal Locator
Beacon.
Upon hearing the news, Captain Rick quipped: “I really could have used
one a few years ago when another boat I owned sank off Boca Raton and I
had to swim ashore. I certainly will register it when it arrives so NOAA
will know who I am and where I’m from.”