Police arrive two hours after emergency call as 74-year-old rescued from Bass Strait

On the morning of January 7, 74-year-old David Mason entered the water at the mouth of the Leven River when his poorly secured boat drifted downstream into Bass Strait. A passer-by called Triple Zero at 5:40 a.m., but language barriers and operator confusion led to the call being closed without dispatch. A second caller, Kerry Porter, made three additional calls, yet police did not reach the location until 7:40 a.m., more than two hours after the first call.

In the meantime, two local fishermen, Alec Newton and Callum Hodge, found Mason floating lifeless and brought him aboard, saving his life. Tasmania Police reviewed the incident, acknowledged communication challenges, and introduced new training and guidance for its Radio Dispatch Services to improve future response times.