IMRF Awards 2026

IMRF Awards - Peoples Choice Award

Heidi Ho Yuen-tung

Hong Kong Government Flying Service, Hong Kong SAR, China

Congratulations to Heidi, voted the winner of the 2025 People's Choice Award by the global maritime SAR community!

Also announced in 2025: Sarah Psaila, Auckland Coastguard, New Zealand, was named winner of the 2025 Patron's Award.

Caribbean Women Search and Rescue Workshop

Registration is now open for the first Caribbean Women in Search and Rescue Workshop from 21-23 October 2026, hosted by the British Virgin Islands.
Search begins for the global maritime SAR community's outstanding contributors as IMRF Awards 2026 open for nominations

Every rescue tells a story of courage, teamwork and dedication. The IMRF Awards 2026 celebrate the people and organisations whose achievements continue to strengthen maritime search and rescue around the world.
How can the IMRF help good ideas spread in search and rescue?

Jaakko Heikkilä, IMRF International Programme Manager, explores why good practices in maritime search and rescue do not always transfer easily between organisations, and how effective “translation” can help ideas take hold across different contexts.
Global SAR Safety Learning Logs

Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) and SAR

Commercial MASS and remotely operated vessels could play a significant part in future maritime SAR operations to help improve capabilities and operations.
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IMRF Members around the world support each other and share knowledge, experience, expertise and innovations.
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Basic Rescue Boat Operator Manual & Search Cards

This manual, together with the accompanying Rescue Boat Operator Search Cards, provides recommended best practice for any organisation looking at introducing basic training in Rescue Boat SAR operations.
SAR Matters: Defining Distress Continued ...

People known to be in distress need to be rescued, of course – and the SAR community knows that this concept must also be extended to those believed to be in distress, and to those who, while not yet in distress, will become so if help is not provided to them in the meantime.
MRO (Mass Rescue Operations Guidance)

The IMRF has developed the most comprehensive guidance available for planning and preparing for Mass Rescue Operations (MROs) in the maritime environment.
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