Four men have spent 14 hours sheltering in trees above crocodile-infested mangroves in far north Western Australia after a fishing trip turned nasty.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre scrambled into action over the weekend, after receiving a signal from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
The unregistered beacon was first activated around 8pm on Sunday - but no location could be pinpointed for nearly an hour, until a subsequent signal placed them around 18 nautical miles north of Derby.
After it was established the four men were overdue after going fishing in a small boat earlier in the day, severe weather in the area and the impending darkness made it impossible for aircraft or vessels to set off.
About 6.30am on Monday, a helicopter took advantage of a brief break in the weather to successfully locate the men - having spent 14 hours sheltering up mangrove trees in the crocodile habitat.
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Authorities say that if the emergency beacon had been registered, it would have allowed the rescue centre to contact next of kin and develop a search area even without a location from the beacon.
