I had gone out fishing with my brother, a bit of a boys trip on the water. We ended up heading back earlier than expected after he started to feel seasick.

As we made our way back in, we began crossing the bar at the river mouth. Coming off a small swell, a pressure wave suddenly came over the front of the boat. Within seconds, the situation escalated and the boat rolled over.

There was no time to react. We couldn’t reach the radio or our phones before the boat capsized. Everything happened very quickly.

Once we managed to stabilize ourselves on the overturned hull, the reality of the situation set in. We were in the water, offshore, with no immediate way to call for help. It was then I realised I had my AIS ResQlink PLB attached to my lifejacket. I activated it straight away, knowing it was our best chance of being located quickly.

We stayed with the capsized boat and waited, hoping we would be found. Fortunately, another vessel entering the river spotted us and came over to assist. They were able to pick us up while we waited for the Coastguard to arrive.

Looking back, having the PLB made all the difference. Without it, we would have had no reliable way to signal for help in a situation that escalated in seconds.