Four people were recovered safely Wednesday, April 20, from a six-metre commercial fishing charter vessel.

The group was around 15 nautical miles south east of Port Douglas when the vessel became swamped with water in rough seas.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Canberra received an Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) detection at around 1.20pm with police receiving a Triple Zero (000) call shortly afterwards from one of the people on board the vessel.

A search and rescue operation was initiated involving a coordinated multi-agency response with the JRCC, QGAir Rescue Helicopter, Queensland Police Service Water Police, Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) Port Douglas and the Cairns Vessel Traffic Services Challenger Search and Rescue Jet.

On arrival of the aircrafts on scene, four people could be seen wearing lifejackets and clinging to a partly submerged but upright vessel in rough sea conditions.

The QGAir Rescue helicopter was able to winch all four safely into the helicopter for transport to Port Douglas.

The VMR Port Douglas vessel continued to the scene in heavy sea conditions in an attempt to recover the swamped vessel for towing back to Port Douglas.

The sea conditions were too rough for the VMR crew to safely connect a towline to the swamped vessel or tow it to shore.

The cause of the marine incident is yet to be determined and is being investigated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

This incident demonstrates the effectiveness of an EPIRB in a distress situation which allows rescue authorities to quickly identify your location and task an appropriate rescue response.

Having the correct safety equipment which vessel operators know how to use, is in good condition and readily accessible on board will significantly increase your chance of survival at sea and timely rescue should you get into difficulty.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.

Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.