Step 1: Try to Stay Calm

The initial reaction to an emergency is often panic. However, the first step in managing any crisis effectively is to remain as calm as possible. This may seem challenging amidst the high-stress situation, but it is paramount to clear thinking and effective communication. Your capacity to articulate an emergency situation will greatly influence the success of the distress call. So take a deep breath and try to calm yourself. 

Step 2: Initiate the Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Distress System

The DSC distress button on your communication device serves as the primary tool to signal that you are in distress. To initiate the automated alert system, firmly hold the DSC distress button for a minimum of 5 seconds. This action will broadcast your distress signal to all DSC-equipped stations (ships and shore) within range.

Step 3: Ensure VHF Radio Is Set to the Correct Frequency

The international distress frequency, Channel 16 (156.800 MHz), is monitored continuously by rescue services. It's essential to set your VHF radio to this channel to ensure you will be able to verbally transmit your distress message to the correct authorities or anyone within VHF range. 

Step 4: Push to Talk & Say: "Mayday" Three Times

With the push-to-talk (PTT) button on your device, articulate the word "Mayday" clearly and repeat it three times. This specific term is universally recognized to indicate a life-threatening situation.

Step 5: Clearly Identify Your Vessel

Following the Mayday code word, state the name of your ship or boat three times clearly. This will allow the responding coast radio station to identify your vessel amidst the numerous signals they might be receiving.

Step 6: Provide Your Call Sign and MMSI Number

[If you don't have VHF or DSC, skip step 6 and proceed with step 7]

Subsequently, communicate your Call Sign and Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number. These unique identifiers are crucial in helping the search and rescue services to identify your vessel and gather more information (type, length, build, sailing or motor etc.) about your ship or boat.

Step 7: Start Your Distress Message

Initiate your distress message with repeating the word "Mayday," followed by your vessel's name, call sign, and MMSI number. Repeating these details is critical to ensure all necessary information is heard, understood, and acted upon by the coast guard.

Step 8: Communicate Your Distress Position and Current Situation

Following the identifier information, it's crucial to provide your precise GPS coordinates and clearly state the nature of your distress. The more specific you are regarding your location and situation, the sooner the rescue units can find you and already carry the necessary equipment necessary in order to assist you on scene. The more precise your information is, the better equipped the responders will be in planning their approach and executing a rescue.

Step 9: Give More Details to Your Situation

This includes detailing the number of people aboard and if any of them are in need of medical assistance. Give them an overview of your situation in that you say what kind of assistance you require from them (or just tell them what's going on on your ship - fire, flooding, smoke, injuries etc.). This information is key for rescuers, as it allows them to allocate appropriate resources and devise an effective response strategy. 

Step 10: Conclude Your Message

After relaying all vital information, end your message by clearly staying the word "Over!" and only now release the push-to-talk button. This indicates to the listeners that you have completed your communication and are awaiting a response.

A Mayday call represents a lifeline for those in situations of grave and imminent danger. Misuse of this call is not only against the law but can also result in severe penalties. It is a shared responsibility to uphold the sanctity of this life-saving tool.

Understanding the importance of safety and preparation can never be overemphasized. With the knowledge of these critical steps, you can confidently make a Mayday call if ever caught in an emergency situation. If you have a registered VHF on board, you also have a call sign- the authorities will ask for it! So be prepared and have it at the ready, somewhere close to your VHF where you can read it any time. Same goes for your MMSI Number. Remember, preparation is key, and effective communication is your lifeline.

The Fight for Survival at Sea: What happened on the Sailing Yacht SILJA?

In summary, the sailing yacht SILJA capsized due to short and steep waves in the Accumer Ee (seaway between Baltrum and Langeoog in Germany), during which all three crew members went overboard, but were able to hold on to the keel-up floating yacht afterwards. On board the sailing boat SILJA, there were no maritime distress signals or alerting capabilities according to SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) to request appropriate help in an emergency. The sailors only had a smartphone, in a waterproof case with a battery level of 17-20%, available to call for help. The capsized yacht was repeatedly washed over by waves until the yacht eventually sank. The sailors managed to stay together for a while but were ultimately separated and dispersed by the heavy swell.

The Distress Call

At the time when the sailors wanted to make that mayday call, battery life had immensely depleted. With only 3% battery remaining on his waterproof smartphone, the skipper initiated the distress call. He dialled the police emergency number, 110. The connection broke off after 45 seconds, and he attempted a second time. The second attempt also failed, and he attempted a third call, accidentally opening WhatsApp instead and decided to send a voice message to his girlfriend with the relevant distress information. Following this last call, the smartphone battery was entirely depleted and it switched off.

The distress call was received at the Joint Regional Control Centre Ostfriesland (KRLO) at 18:27 on August 26 2021. Wind and background noises rendered the call incomprehensible for the dispatchers. The KRLO is the Joint Regional Control Centre Ostfriesland, responsible for police and rescue command centre (ambulance & fire brigade) matters. At the KRLO, multiple processes were initiated as a result; they listened to the distress call multiple times and initiated a location determination, as no AML data had been transmitted during the call. The abbreviation stands for "Advanced Mobile Location", or a sophisticated mobile location tracking of the smartphone. Thus, rescue coordination centres receive the geographical location of the caller automatically after dialling one of the emergency numbers, but only under certain conditions. Android smartphones mandatorily require internet (WiFi or mobile data) to transmit AML data, while Apple devices transmit data via SMS - equally challenging at sea. Since March 2022, all smartphones distributed in the European market must be AML compatible, and a majority of smartphones already meet these requirements. The situation is different for the police emergency number. Currently, in Germany, only the 112 emergency number stores AML datasets on the central server. According to the police in Lower Saxony, AML will also soon be available nationwide for the 110 emergency number. Independent from the AML datasets, according to §164 paragraph 1 Telecommunications Act TKG, providers must transmit the data initiating the emergency connection, which are necessary for location determination, to emergency numbers 110 and 112. In this case, only the radiation angle (two-dimensional 360 degrees - that is essentially a bearing) from the smartphone to the radio mast was transmitted for position determination.
At 18:47 - 30 minutes after the distress call was received by the KRLO, the case finally reached the MRCC Bremen (German Maritime Search and Rescue Service). The KRLO informed the MRCC about the hard-to-understand call, the possible reference to "Accumer Ee", and the results of the bearing to the radio mast. This initiated the DGzRS's rescue measures for the first time, and their units were immediately dispatched.

Critical Conditions: Rescuers and Sailors Battle the Elements

The weather conditions were challenging for both the rescuers and the sailors in the water. They grappled with wave heights of up to 4m, water temperatures of 18 degrees, and increasing darkness. At 20:58, the SRB ELLI HOFFMANN-RÖSER tried to recover an unresponsive person, but to no avail. The casualty slipped from his lifejacket during the rescue attempt and disappeared into the sea. Shortly after, the SAR helicopter spotted a flashing light in the darkness and rescued a crew member. She reported that her fellow sailor would have been to her left, as she could hear him clearly. He was quickly found due to this now decreased search area, and both could be handed over to hospitals.

Effective Communication at Sea: BSU Emphasises the Importance of 112 for Distress Calls

From the lessons learned of this incident, the BSU recommends that: "For maritime-related distress calls via mobile networks (smartphones, smartwatches, etc.) in the coastal area of EU member states, 112 should always be used. The MRCC's emergency number should generally only be used for subsequent conversations, in the sense of a radio working channel, always assuming that communication via (GMDSS-) maritime radio should not be possible."
This statement from the BSU is based on the possibility of receiving location data, even if the connection should break off (even though this didn't help the sailors in this case). The MRCC doesn't have an "emergency number" as defined by the legislator (TKG), even though the number 124124 (only from the German mobile network) could be mistaken for one. Therefore, the DGzRS - MRCC Bremen has no authorisation to query AML datasets. Though they are currently working on mitigating this problem. Especially because there are many reasons why it would make sense to allow this.

The time loss between transferring the case from the police coordination centre to the MRCC can be decisive. The MRCC Bremen says: "Experience from recent years has shown that initial reports to emergency coordination centres have complicated the process in many cases." The MRCC Bremen cites several reasons for this:
"Employees at the emergency call centres regularly do not have the necessary knowledge and experience in the area of maritime emergency processes and maritime resources to, for example, ask SAR-relevant questions"
Additionally, there are communication losses, as transmissions are only possible by phone due to a lack of digital networking and interfaces.

But What Do We - Really- Learn From the Maritime Emergency?

The Search and Rescue Mission Coordinators (SMC) have years of experience with the German Search and Rescue Region. There are many locations which, due to their intricacies, are frequently reported by distressed persons over the phone or radio as incident positions. The MRCC staff are familiar with these, and perhaps the MRCC could have deciphered the distress call sooner than someone not mentally prepared for a maritime emergency and the corresponding sea areas. According to the MRCC's statement, they consider a dedicated emergency number to be urgently necessary. Or perhaps one could simply equip their boat with a bit more safety equipment, which is also SOLAS approved and automatically emits a distress signal when capsized.

You can find the entire BSU report at: https://www.bsu-bund.de/SharedDocs/pdf/EN/Investigation_Report/2022/Investigation_Report_276_21.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1  

The corresponding Lessons Learned at: https://www.bsu-bund.de/SharedDocs/pdf/EN/Lessons_learned/Lessons_Learned_14.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1

*all quotes are from the BSU accident investigation report 276/21 and the BSU Lessons Learned published on 08.12.2022 (GER) & 29.03.2023 (ENG)

The Role and Responsibilities of the OSC

The OSC is tasked with the coordination of all SAR units and facilities within the search area. They establish communication with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) in charge, coordinate with the Aircraft Coordinator (ACO), and ensure that the SAR plan is being executed as intended.

One of the main benefits of having a person trained in OSC is improved safety. By knowing how to sail specific search patterns, crew members are able to cover a larger area more efficiently, increasing the chances of finding a person who has gone overboard or a ship in distress. A well-trained OSC also enables effective communication with other ships in the vicinity or with the maritime rescue coordination center (MRCC), ultimately increasing the chances of survival for those in distress.

Designated OSC: When is it necessary?

An On-Scene Coordinator is necessary when two or more SAR units / facilities are working together on the same mission. The OSC is always one person (usually the most qualified) on board a ship, who will co-ordinate the rescue measures. The OSC will be designated by a Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator (SMC) from within the MRCC. The person in charge of the first unit or facility to arrive on scene will normally assume the role of the OSC until the responsible SMC relieves them of their duty. 

OSC Training: The skills and knowledge required

The skills and knowledge required to effectively perform the role of an OSC are not inherent; they are acquired through rigorous training. Visiomare offers On-Scene Coordinator courses which are in compliance and based on the IMO Model Course 3.15 (SAR On-Scene Coordinator) and the IAMSAR (International and Aeronautical Maritime Search and Rescue) Manual Vol. III.

Visiomare is committed to providing professional and high-quality training in maritime search and rescue. Their goal is to equip captains and officers with the knowledge and skills to effectively respond and act in emergency situations. They also offer trainings to individuals from various authorities such as the water police, federal police, navy, customs, and sea pilots to facilitate cooperation with SAR organizations and prepare them for the OSC function should they be the first facility to arrive on scene.