Maritime Search and Rescue Assets

Who can respond
HM Coastguard is equipped and organised to act as national co-ordinator of all civil maritime Search and Rescue (SAR). In responding to reports of casualties at sea or on the coast, HM Coastguard will can call upon a wide range of facilities made available by the organisations participating in UKSAR. These are known as Declared Assets, which are facilities designated as being available for civil maritime SAR according to a specific standard or set criteria.

The full list of declared SAR Facilities is extensive, but includes:

  • HM Coastguard's own Initial Response and Coastguard Rescue Teams;
  • Inshore lifeboats, all-weather lifeboats and inshore rescue hovercraft operated by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
  • other nominated inshore rescue services
  • Search and Rescue helicopters under contract to the MCA
  • Ministry of Defense SAR helicopters and fixed wing aircraft operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy (RN)
  • Emergency Towing Vessels (ETV) - powerful tugs contracted to the MCA
  • nominated Fire Service teams for cliff and mud rescue as well as firefighting and chemical incident response for vessels at sea
  • nominated beach lifeguard units

Additional facilities are also available from time to time.  These are not to any specified standard, but a sample of those which may be called upon can include:

  • vessels in the vicinity of the casualty;
  • such non-declared aircraft and ships as the Ministry of Defence may be able to make available
  • vessels under the control of various authorities including lighthouse and pilotage authorities, HM Customs and Excise and Police
  • The MCA's Coastguard Rescue Service (Reporting and Afloat)
  • helicopters and other facilities made available by offshore oil operators
  • foreign SRR facilities
  • MCA Boats and HMCG Rescue Boats
  • Police, Fire and Ambulance Services
  • Mountain and Cave Rescue Teams

The primary objective in SAR is the safe recovery of any person or persons in distress.  HM Coastguard will make the best use of all available resources, both its own and those of other SAR providers in order to pursue this objective.  Casualties can occur regardless of political and administrative boundaries, and the response to any given incident can often require a "joined up" approach from different agencies, sometimes from more than one country,  working in partnership. To learn more about some of our partners you can visit their web sites by clicking on the links at the bottom of the page.  HM Coastguard hold regular live exercises with ferry operators, the RNLI, fire, police and ambulance services as well as local authorities and other agencies in order to test the SAR response.

MCA and Coastguard Assets

HM Coastguard Contract Helicopters
The MCA currently operates two contracted Sikorsky S92 and one Agusta Westland AW139 Search and Rescue Helicopters which have full night /all weather operations capability and are based at Sumburgh Airport (Shetland),and Stornoway Airport (Isle of Lewis) and Lee-on-Solent respectively. All are capable of the full range of airborne SAR tasks. A fourth AW139 SAR helicopter is stationed at Portland (near Weymouth) and provides additional cover during daylight hours.
Emergency Towing Vessels
The MCA has four Emergency Towing Vessels (ETVs) on charter, to provide emergency towing cover in those areas judged to be at higher risk from environmental damage as a result of the possible grounding of broken down vessels. The ETV's are stationed in the Fair Isle, Minches, South Western Approaches and the Dover Strait areas and are available 24 hours per day throughout the year.  They are also equipped for firefighting.
Coastguard Rescue Service
The Coastguard Rescue Service is a voluntary organisation managed, trained and equipped by HM Coastguard. to proceed to any coastal SAR incident that may arise. Coastguard Rescue teams are located at strategic locations around the the coast. These are equipped to deal with incidents and rescues appropriate to the risks associated with local coastal terrain and local shoreline activities and conditions.
Cliff Rescue
Although the dangers of getting too close to the edge of a cliff might seem obvious, Coastguard Rescue Teams are nevertheless regularly summoned to the aid of persons and animals who have fallen and are often severely injured. Cliff teams are trained and equipped to extricate the casualty as safely as possible for medical treatment.  Sadly the the cliff teams' role also includes the recovery of those who have not survived their fall.
Mud Rescue
The perils of soft mud and quicksand around the UK coast may be less obvious to the unwary, but can be just as deadly. Local Coastgurd Rescue Teams have specialised equipment and training for freeing casualties and bringing them safely to firm ground.
MCA Launches
In addition to a small number of RHIB rescue craft, HM Coastguard also operate a fleet of MCA Patrol Boats. These vessels are primarily intended for a variety of non-SAR roles including Receiver of Wreck duties,  fishing vessel inspections, Sector Managers' duties, at sea inspections, accident prevention and enforcement of MCA Codes of Practice, but they can also respond to SAR incidents if needed.

Maritime SAR Links
The following links will take you to the web sites of some of HM Coastguard's partners: