Scroll down to look back through our history
1960
Founder rescued from shark-infested waters
Aged just 20, our founder David Marshall is thrown overboard into the shark-infested waters of the South Pacific. After several hours, he is rescued – by complete chance – by a passing supply barge. The idea for MRT and the Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) was born as a result of this incident.
1975
Personal Locator Beacon prototype
A prototype of the first Personal Locator Beacon is supplied to GBII Joint Services for their entry into the Financial Times Clipper race to Australia, the result of a joint venture between the Royal Radar Establishment and Farnborough.
1979
Rescue success
Ken Kerr, one of MRT’s first customers, is successfully rescued 700 miles off Newfoundland in the Mid-Atlantic after activating his LOCAT radio distress beacon following a capsizing. His beacon signal was picked up by a Concorde flying overhead on its way to New York. The jet subsequently alerted the authorities who dispatched a C130 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to pinpoint the exact location before diverting a cargo ship to complete the rescue.
1980
Yachtsmen saved
Doctors parachuted into the ocean in a desperate attempt to help four stranded yachtsmen. They were alerted and deployed by rescue authorities who picked up a signal from the Yachtsmen’s LOCAT distress beacon.