Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) (Cobham SAR Services Pty Ltd) Bombardier Challenger 604 Bizjet VH-XNF "Rescue 550" Completes Search Sorties Between Mackay and Proserpine

Over the previous couple of days, Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) (Cobham SAR Services Pty Ltd) Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 bizjet VH-XNF "Rescue 550" has been flying down from its Cairns base to coordinate a search for a missing woman between Mackay and Proserpine.

File photo

On Friday 28 February and again on Saturday 29 February, VH-XNF "Rescue 550" completed a six, and then seven hour sortie to assist in the search.  On both occasions, it flew back to Cairns without landing in CQ.

As we've previously reported, Cobham SAR Services Pty Ltd (Cobham) was contracted in 2014 to provide a new search and rescue agreement for AMSA using four Bombardier Challenger CL-604 bizjets from late 2016 for a period of 12 years.

It also appears that on Friday 28 February, the locally-based Central Queensland Rescue (CQ Rescue) (Babcock Mission Critical Services Australasia) Bell 412 VH-CQJ "Rescue 412" joined the search from Mackay Airport.

While on Saturday 29 February, Queensland Government (QGAir) Rescue (State of Queensland) Agusta AW139 helicopter VH-ESH "Rescue 521" was noted departing Proserpine Hospital for Townsville.

Photo taken by 'IAD'  ©