Two major marine searches at the weekend have concerned police about distress calls going unnoticed by fellow boating enthusiasts.

Five people were rescued at the weekend when their boat broke down off Batt Reef, 17 nautical miles off Port Douglas.

Port Douglas Coast Guard, EMQ, Cairns Water Police and Cairns Police Communication Centre assisted with the coordination of the retrieval of the stricken vessel, which had become stranded due to suspected mechanical failure in the receding tide.

EMQ’s chopper was used in the rescue and the vessel was towed back to Port Douglas with all five people onboard accounted for. There is no indication that alcohol was a factor. 

On Saturday evening, two men were rescued uninjured after being stranded on a broken down jet ski adjacent to Sudbury Cay, Sudbury Reef (east of Fitzroy Island). While the men had requested assistance via SMS message, it was noted by officers that various boats nearby did not respond to the activation of flares and render assistance to the vessel or occupants.

Officer in Charge of Cairns Water Police, Sergeant Andrew Ibell, said it was extremely disappointing that the distress calls went unanswered in both cases.

“Radio calls of distress and the use of hand held flares, both orange smoke and red handheld, appear to have been ignored or gone unreported by other vessels in the near vicinity,” he said.

“The potential for loss of life can be catastrophic out at sea when distress calls go unanswered.”

Boaties are urged to be mindful of their obligations to assist a vessel displaying or communicating signals of distress, and in the case they are not able to respond, their obligation to report such to police, the coastguard or local vessel monitoring stations.

Police state that in both these instances the matters would have been resolved in a timely matter, with the assistance of nearby vessels, reducing the risks to persons involved.

In both cases, the vessels involved complied with current safety equipment requirements, ultimately enabling police and the coastguard to locate and assist these vessels.

Meanwhile, a 37-year-old Mossman Gorge man was charged on Friday following an alleged assault of two officers at Mossman police station.

Police alleged that the man had been arrested in relation to another matter and was being removed from a police vehicle at about 9.30am when he spat on both a male and female officer.

He was charged with two counts of serious assault and is due to appear in Mossman Magistrates Court on October 2.