Spotlight on search and rescue
When disaster strikes at sea, every minute counts. As a navigator, you may be the closest responder to the scene. Advanced technology, clear communications and excellent teamwork can make all the difference
by David Patraiko, Director of Projects, The Nautical Institute
Most navigators will hopefully have a long career at sea without getting involved in any Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. However if you do encounter one, it is likely that one or more lives may depend on how well you and your crew manage a potentially complex operation.
You may have a casualty on your own vessel (possibly man overboard), come across a casualty at sea or be alerted to a casualty by a Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC). Note that an RCC can coordinate between air and sea, while a MRCC specialises in maritime operations. The International Marime Rescue Federation explain more about when – and how – navigators might need to get involved in search operations on pages three and four.
Coming to the aid of a fellow mariner is a requirement under UNCLOS, SOLAS and even the SAR Convention – assuming that it is safe to do so. Like any other skill or process, it is best to review what to do with your crew well before an emergency happens.
The articles in this issue of The Navigator cover many different aspects of search and rescue, which may refresh your memory and identify some of the risks involved. However, this should be secondary to holding regular drills and discussions onboard your vessel using the IAMSAR manual. These should cover not just how to communicate with the MRCC, but in more challenging cases how your crew might prepare for a rescue/recovery while keeping your own people safe. You may even have to consider crew rotation to avoid fatigue in the case of a prolonged event – SAR can be very physically and emotionally demanding.
While coastal states will have specialist SAR assets and personnel of their own, in an emergency or due to weather, a merchant ship may be in the best position to be a ‘first responder’. It is essential that the ship’s crew work seamlessly with the MRCC, and may even be assigned to be the On-scene Coordinator (OSC) for a time. On pages five and six, Mission Coordinator Kamil Woźniakiewicz explains more about what goes on at an MRCC, and how they work together with vessels to conduct a search.
When involved in SAR activities, it is absolutely vital to have a good working team both onboard and with shore stakeholders, not just the MRCC but your own company (Superintendents, Designated Person Ashore, etc). Good teamwork takes practice. Discuss potential SAR scenarios with your onboard teams (not just the bridge team) and share knowledge. Some of the crew may have been involved in with SAR operations before and be able to share valuable lessons learned. Of course, one thing about SAR is that it’s likely to happen on the proverbial ‘dark and stormy night’. Prepare now so that you can be competent and confident when lives might depend on you.
Finally, once the event is finished, and the crew has been able to rest and reflect, it is worth a whole team debrief to give praise and share lessons learned. This is particularly important where injuries or fatalities have been encountered, or where missing persons are not found – it is natural to expect some crew to need further support and to want to process what they have experienced.