Search and rescue (SAR) organisations should lead from the front and initiate a mental health and wellbeing culture.

SAR workers often face stresses that are not present in other high-risk fields of work. Operating in a high-stake environment on a near-constant basis can impact the mental health and wellbeing of those involved in maritime SAR.

Jorge Diena, Former President of the Association of Maritime and River Rescue (ADES) in Uruguay, says that speaking about difficult rescues is essential to the crew's safety. If SAR members respond to SAR operations without looking after their own wellbeing it can unintentionally endanger their colleagues. He says that ADES is still in the early stages of implementing a mental health and wellbeing strategy, and he hopes that SAR organisations in South America continue to build and implement processes and speak more openly about mental health and wellbeing.

You can find out more about the initiative by clicking here. https://www.international-maritime-rescue.org/saryouok

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