Unidentified boat off north-west Australia called NZ twice for help
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Version 0 of 1. A boat in waters off the north-west coast of Australia sent two emergency calls after getting into difficulty while travelling to New Zealand. The calls were made to search and rescue in New Zealand on Thursday and Friday night. “A vessel made two satellite calls to the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand asking for assistance,” a spokesman for Maritime New Zealand said. “The vessel was in the area north-west of Australia so the calls were referred to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority [Amsa].” The spokesman said details of the boat’s position were passed to Amsa. He was unable to give any details about the type of vessel, what condition it was in or how many people were on board and whether those people were asylum seekers. It is not known whether Australian rescuers have reached the boat. Amsa declined to comment. A spokesman for the Australian immigration minister, Scott Morrison, said on Saturday there were no search and rescue missions at the time. The New Zealand immigration minister, Michael Woodhouse, said: “There’s no doubt that New Zealand is a growing target for people smugglers and the Australian changes may make the threat of a mass arrival here even greater. "The government takes people smuggling very seriously and we have taken steps to plan and prepare for if and when the first boat makes it through. “Despite the lies told by smugglers to their vulnerable victims, any attempted journey would be utterly perilous and put the lives of people at risk. The empty promise of an easy path to residency is another lie told by smugglers intent only on lining their own pockets. "Criminal groups organising such ventures are endangering the lives of vulnerable people – including children – for a quick buck.” |