NSW Police encourage boaters to check devices for emergency alert feature to avoid false activations
Marine Rescue NSW is asking boaters carrying smart devices on their person to heed the advice of NSW Police to avoid false emergency activations.
Police have advised that mobile phones and smart watches with an automated crash detection feature have recently triggered several false emergency activations.
A feature on smart mobile phones and watches detects rapid accelerations, interprets these as a vehicle crash, and alerts emergency services via Triple Zero.
Several recent false alarms have shown that the device can also be triggered when on board a vessel that is travelling over choppy water or bouncing over waves.
Marine Rescue NSW Deputy Commissioner Alex Barrell has asked boaters to check their mobile devices for the feature, and to consider turning it off while on the water to avoid triggering an accidental emergency response by the emergency services.
