The Hunter Westpac Helicopter Service has today issued a reminder to deactivate emergency beacons before disposing of them.
It comes after a crew unnecessarily searched a waste disposal facility at Raymond Terrace yesterday, where one of the beacons had accidentally become activated amongst the rubbish.
The search marks the fifth for the service in two years, with signal tracking and dismantling efforts typing the helicopter and crew up for hours at a time.
Hunter residents possessing an emergency beacon are urged to contact the Water Police to get advice on correct deactivation methods once the equipment passes its expiry date.
