His friend Clay Eavenson told him during a different fishing outing two days before the accident that he should get an EPIRB, which transmits radio signals and GPS coordinates that rescue crews can use to find boats in trouble.
The devices cost between $400 and $1,400 and can self-activate when boats tip over. Cooper agreed that he should have one — but didn't follow through before setting off Saturday. Eavenson had been invited to go with the four, but declined.
Thankfully my fishing buddy has not only an EPIRB but also a life raft. I would not leave the beach without one. Things happen in the ocean, people drown and not a sign of them is ever found. There are crab boats out of Alaska that are equipped with EPIRB's that disappear without a trace. The Coast Guard finds the EPIRB but no boat, people, life raft, or even debris from the ship. At the cost of $400-$1400 I cant imagine why anyone that has an ocean going vessel would not own one.
This is very tragic and I wish there was an easier way to get basic information into the hands of uneducated boaters.
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