Each Sentry will soon contain an Australian Standard 406MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).

The Nathan Drew Memorial Trust, led by Theo Newhouse and Graeme Drew, will upgrade existing Sentries to ensure reliability and immediate response.

When activated the EPIRB will transmit a unique signal that is detectable by a satellite monitored by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) in Canberra.

Based on the coded signal, AMSA can determine the location and ownership of the EPIRB and will contact the relevant rescue authorities.

The system was officially launched at the City of Albany on Tuesday in front of other coastal safety crusaders who came to discuss the improvements.

Mr Newhouse thanked the community for its generous financial assistance.

“Because of help from the Albany Port Authority, the City of Albany and the Rotary Club of Katanning we can now upgrade the six existing Silent Sentry units located at Salmon Holes and in the Lowlands,” he said.

“Now when a float is removed from the unit, the EPIRB will be automatically activated and AMSA will receive the signal and will then contact the Albany Police.

“The Police will be aware of the emergency within five minutes, thus vastly improving the chances of a successful rescue.”

Mr Newhouse also said the location of some of these units had saved lives.

“Because of these units three people have been rescued at Salmon Holes, one at Cable Beach and we’ve had no further deaths at Salmon Holes since Nathan drowned,” he said.

The Silent Sentry consists of a canister bolted to the rocks, with three 300mm diameter ball floats inside.

The floats have ropes attached to them and can be accessed by pushing the retaining lever to one side.

Once the lever is pushed to access the floats a digital EPIRB signal will be sent to both the Albany Police and the Water Police in Fremantle.

The Nathan Drew Memorial Trust was established in 2004 after Mr Drew’s nephew Nathan accidentally drowned off Salmon Holes in September 2003.

The Trust has since worked on coastal safety education programs through the region’s schools, drowning prevention through use of buoyancy vests and the design and installation of Silent Sentry units at various coastal points.

Mr Drew has also recently travelled to South Australia where the system is likely to be used there along the coastline.