A maritime emergency refers to any critical situation at sea where a vessel or its crew faces immediate distress, such as mechanical failure, fire, severe weather, medical emergencies, or collisions. These emergencies can trigger rescue operations involving specialized maritime safety measures and coordination between various maritime organizations.
Modern maritime emergency response include rapid alert systems like the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
GMDSS
The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is a worldwide system for automated emergency signal communication for ships at sea developed by the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) as part of the SOLAS Convention. ...
, which enables vessels to send distress signals and receive assistance. The
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization (IMO; ; ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating maritime transport. The IMO was established following agreement at a ...
(IMO) and the
International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) Convention set the framework for coordinated rescue operations, ensuring that distress situations are managed efficiently and that vessels provide assistance to those in need.
See also
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Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
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Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon
An emergency position-indicating radiobeacon (EPIRB) is a type of emergency locator beacon for commercial and recreational boats; it is a portable, battery-powered radio transmitter used in emergencies to locate boaters in distress and in nee ...
(EPIRB)
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Flare gun
A flare gun, also known as a Very pistol or signal pistol, is a large-bore handgun that discharges flares, blanks and smoke. The flare gun is typically used to produce a distress signal.
Types
The most common type of flare gun is a Very (s ...
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Global Maritime Distress Safety System
The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is a worldwide system for automated emergency signal communication for ships at sea developed by the United Nations' International Maritime Organization (IMO) as part of the SOLAS Convention. ...
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Lifeboat
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Mayday
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications.
It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiz ...
References
Rescue
Water transport
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