An unusual event aboard the Maggie Cat ferry running from Townsville to Magnetic Island was witnessed and filmed by our Shipping Reporter, the only one north of Botany Bay, who is never far from the action.
Suddenly, the beacon attached to a lifebuoy , which would be thrown overboard in the event of an emergency , began to flash and bounce about on the mounting, near the stern . The ferry had hit a windy and rough patch when the beacon broke loose.
A member of the crew came to the rescue , grabbed the feral beacon , turned it off , placed it back in its clamp . After all the excitement, our waterfront man went looking for the Ship Inn for a libation
