Having the capability to save lives

George Day offers advice in the Cruising Compass on what can help us live longer:

On September 10, 1982, three passengers aboard a light aircraft crashed into the sea off the Canadian Maritimes. They were able to deploy their life raft and they had with them the earliest version an Emergency Position Indicating Beacon (EPIRB). They switched it on and set in motion the very first COSPAS-SARSAT rescue.

They were found and rescued in a matter of hours instead of the days such search and rescue missions took before the satellite rescue system was in place. Since then, more than 50,000 people have been saved from a watery end by EPIRB technology.

For those of use heading offshore, the risk of losing the boat is relatively small, albeit real, so carrying an EPIRB is essential. But, the risk of falling overboard is more common and the window of success for making an MOB rescue is usually quite short. – Full report