Anyone with knowledge of an individual or team that has been involved in an exceptional search and rescue incident is being urged to submit an entry for the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) Awards now.

Theresa Crossley, CEO IMRF says: “Entries are coming in from around the world but the closing date is rapidly approaching. There’s still time to nominate people who have gone beyond the call of duty to save lives at sea, before the closing date on 31 July, 2018, but it’s not worth leaving it to the last minute and missing the opportunity!”

Every year 360,000 people drown worldwide, and the World Health Organisation cites it as the third leading cause of unintentional death worldwide. But that number would be much bigger if it weren’t for the efforts of maritime search and rescue (SAR) services around the globe.

The IMRF (International Maritime Rescue Federation) has held the very first Mass Rescue Operations workshop in Uruguay, South America.

The two-day event took place earlier in June, in partnership with the National Navy of Uruguay at the Uruguayan Naval Academy in Montevideo.

Tourism is a valuable part of the Uruguayan economy. Approximately 200 passenger cruise ships call at Uruguayan ports over the summer period, and more than 8,000 people use regular passenger ferries from Buenos Aires every weekend. The Uruguayan authorities supported the workshop, as it was an important contribution to the country’s search and rescue (SAR) planning and operational preparedness.

The specialist SAR training was delivered by representatives from the IMRF, the United States Coastguard, the Uruguayan Navy and the National Emergency System (SINAE) in Uruguay.

On Tuesday, 19 June 2018, at the 68th Session of the IMO Technical Cooperation Committee, held at IMO Headquarters in London, Captain Udo Helge Fox, Chairman of the IMRF, and Mohammed Drissi, IMRF Trustee, delivered a presentation to the plenary entitled “Working Together - Capacity Building in Maritime SAR”.

Captain Fox began by giving an overview of the global role of the IMRF in saving lives in the world’s waters. He said that the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, globally, about 400,000 people drown every year. That is 40 people, every hour of every day, equivalent to 70% of the global death toll for malnutrition and 60% for that of malaria. The WHO also reports that Africa and Asia-Pacific account for almost 90% of world drowning deaths. Captain Fox described it as "a silent epidemic".

The IMRF Awards recognise anyone – individual, team or organisation - who has helped to save life at sea, so submit your nominations now (new window)!

The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) is calling for nominations and entries from around the world for its annual IMRF Awards.

Last year, nominations came from as far afield as South Africa, New Zealand, Morocco, Hong Kong, Sweden, Norway and many more. The submissions put forward search and rescue (SAR) professionals, lifeguards, and ships’ crew all of whom had at some point gone far beyond the call of duty as they made every effort to save the lives of refugees, people involved in accidents, cruise passengers on a burning ship or fellow crew members who’d fallen overboard.