Moruya's Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter was called to a discarded distress beacon that was activated within tonnes of rubbish at Surf Beach tip on Tuesday, May 18.
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Eurobodalla Shire Council staff dug through rubbish to find and disarm the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), which would have continuously transmitted an emergency signal for 48 hours.
An EPIRB is a portable battery powered radio transmitter that can be used when a person on a vessel is in distress and in need of immediate rescue.
"According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, thousands of dollars are spent every year in Australia searching for inadvertently activated beacons in rubbish dumps, tying up emergency personnel in the process," a council spokesperson said.
Waste operations coordinator Evan Brooks said Tuesday's incident was a timely reminder for residents to dispose of unwanted emergency beacons correctly.
"Unwanted distress beacons should never be put into household bins," he said.
"Not only can they activate and waste valuable emergency resources, but the beacon batteries are also hazardous and should be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way."
NSW Maritime holds regular collection events in the Eurobodalla shire for expired flares, where unwanted emergency beacons can also be safety disposed of free of charge. The next collection is likely to be held in November.
If residents can't attend a collection event, batteries should be disconnected in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and disposed of at the council's waste facilities for free.
To find out more about the NSW Maritime expired flare collection program, CLICK HERE. For more information on EPIRB disposal, CLICK HERE.
