Media
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April 27, 2025
Sunday 27 April 2025
Lachlan Leeming
The Sunday Mail
Dramatic footage has shown the moment a helicopter landed near five men believed to be stranded on a remote stretch of beach in Australia’s north after arriving illegally by boat.
North Australian Helicopters posted footage on their Facebook page on Thursday of a helicopter touching down near five men on a beach.
It was understood the group was later collected by the Australian border force.
The video appeared to show an SOS message scrawled in the sand near the men, with a pole with a red rag tied to it nearby. It is not known what country the men came from.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke would not confirm whether the men had been picked up, while Coalition home affairs spokesman James Paterson seized on the men’s apparent detection by a commercial helicopter company.
“Media reports of an apparent illegal maritime arrival are deeply concerning,” Senator Paterson said. “Regardless of whether they are people smugglers or illegal fishers, no one should be able to reach the Australian mainland undetected. Once again, we have seen the Albanese government relying on private businesses alerting the government to serious security concerns, like when a Virgin Australian pilot was the first to alert the government to a… live fire exercise in the Tasman Sea. Time and time again, we have seen Labor fail to keep Australia safe.”
Mr Burke would not confirm the five men’s arrival but said: “When someone tries to arrive without a visa, they are detained and then deported.”