On Thursday 5 March 2026, Seven Mile Beach was the scene of major incident training exercise, with emergency services coming together to practice a coordinated response to a notional small aircraft crash into the water.

Participating agencies included:

• Ambulance Tasmania 
• Tasmania Police 
• Rescue Helicopter 
• Sea Rescue Tasmania (Dodges Ferry)
• Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service
• Hobart International Airport
• Surf Life Saving Tasmania

Activities began around 9am, with members of the public able to notice a strong presence of emergency services, including the rescue helicopter. The exercise tested the readiness, communication, and interoperability between all agencies, ensuring that emergency responses in real-life situations are swift, coordinated and effective.

Ned Reardon, Senior Coordinator of Lifesaving Services, said exercises like this are invaluable.

“They let agencies practice a coordinated response in real conditions, test communication and procedures, and build the relationships that make a difference when it’s a real emergency.”

“Our role was to support Tasmania Police and partner agencies by providing water safety and simulated casualties, helping create a realistic training environment. It was also a great opportunity to work closely with other agencies and support the coordinated response, exercises like this strengthen how we operate together, so if it’s ever real, the response is safer and more effective.”

One of the Surf Life Saving Tasmania participants acting as a simulated casualty said it was great to be a part of something bigger. 

"The scenario felt realistic, and was really reassuring to see how well the agencies communicated and worked together on the water and on shore.”

The training is a vital part of emergency preparedness in Tasmania, ensuring agencies are ready to respond quickly and efficiently when real incidents occur.