Stunning footage captured the moment a helicopter pilot discovered a group of suspected asylum seekers stranded on a remote beach in ’s north.
North n Helicopters, a privately-owned aviation company, posted footage of the helicopter touching down on the north coast beach to their Facebook page on Thursday.
In the video, the group of five men appeared to be standing beside a message written in the sand, believed to have read ‘SOS’.
It was not clear where the men came from though the author of the video wrote the men could not ‘understand a word of English’.
The men are understood to have since been collected by the n Border Force.
Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson said the incident exposed the Albanese Government’s failure to protect ‘s borders.
‘Media reports of an apparent illegal maritime arrival are deeply concerning. Regardless of whether they are people smugglers or illegal fishers, no one should be able to reach the n mainland undetected,’ he said in a statement.
Senator Paterson likened the incident to the live firing drill of Chinese warships in the Tasman Sea in February which the government was first alerted to by a commercial pilot.
‘Once again, we have seen the Albanese Government relying on private businesses alerting the government to serious security concerns, like when a Virgin pilot was the first to alert the government to a PLA-N live fire exercise in the Tasman Sea.
‘Time and time again, we have seen Labor fail to keep safe. Only a Dutton Coalition government will restore Operation Sovereign Borders and stop the boats.’
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke remained tight-lipped about the incident.
‘We do not confirm, or comment on, operational matters,’ he told The n.
‘There has never been a successful people smuggling venture under our government, and that remains true.’
The Facebook video has been viewed more than 10,000 times since being posted on Thursday.
The Department of Home Affairs and the n Border Force have been contacted by Daily Mail .