On 21 January 2026, the IMRF hosted its Forward Look 2026 webinar. Focusing on the year ahead, the event brought together IMRF members and the wider global SAR maritime community to learn more about what the organisation has in store for the coming year. The webinar is now available to watch in full here. 

The webinar featured expert insight on drowning prevention and the role of search and rescue (SAR), delivered by Dr Caroline Lukaszyk, Technical Officer for Drowning Prevention at the World Health Organization (WHO). Another expert presentation was delivered by Dr Paul Luckin, Medical Advisor to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and Police Search and Rescue. He shared his perspectives on survivability and factors contributing to survivability in water.

The IMRF’s CEO, Caroline Jupe, opened the webinar by reflecting on the organisation’s global impact over the past year and highlighting several key achievements.

“In 2025, we engaged 497 people at IMRF in-person training and other events across the globe. We also strengthened our global advocacy, and in 2025, we celebrated 40 years in consultative status at the IMO.”

“We were fortunate to be involved in capacity-building events with WHO and the IMO in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, and to receive funding for the Global Maritime SAR System Review and the SAR Training Academy. I firmly believe these two projects will strengthen and guide the SAR community going forwards” she continued.

Caroline also outlined how the IMRF plans to build on this momentum in 2026 with a new strategy, running from 2026 to 2030. Our new strategy is designed to guide us over the next four years - anchoring IMRF as the leading global voice for maritime search and rescue. 

“In 2026, the IMRF enters a new strategic cycle, the programme this year is designed to strengthen the global maritime SAR community and enhance our shared mission to save lives.”

During the webinar, Dr Caroline Lukaszyk from WHO started with an overview of the global burden of drowning, emphasising the scale of the challenge worldwide.

“The best estimates we have state that over 2.5 million lives have been lost in the past decade to drowning. What’s important to consider is that these global estimates do not capture drowning deaths resulting from water transport incidents or natural disasters. We know that this number is a significant underestimate of the true burden.”

In 2024, the WHO completed the first-ever Global Situational Assessment on drowning. Nearly 1,000 individuals contributed to this data collection exercise across 139 countries, providing unprecedented insight into drowning risks and prevention efforts worldwide.

Another key project led by WHO is the establishment of the Global Strategy for Drowning Prevention, launched in November 2025. The strategy aims to reduce drowning globally by 35% over the next 10 years and outlines 10 key areas of action to address the main drowning risks.

“Search and Rescue is a key pillar to drowning prevention,” Dr Caroline Lukaszyk emphasised. “With huge thanks to IMRF, we have ensured there is a dedicated section of the strategy that corresponds to SAR.”

Dr Paul Luckin discussed factors that impact survival in water from a medical perspective, touching on Time Frame for Survival assessments. These assessments help SAR professionals to produce a risk to benefit ratio, allowing their decisions to be guided by both environmental factors and those related to the missing person. He also discussed survivability factors such as body fat, water temperature, life jacket wearing, topography and how these influence outcomes.  

“Time frame for survival is an estimate of how long a missing person might survive in the prevailing conditions, it gives you advice on how long you have to find the person, gives an indication of the urgency, and what assets you might deploy,” he said.

Dr Paul Luckin also reinforced the importance of preparation and training at both an individual and community level.

“It’s important for people not just to plan to have an enjoyable day by the sea or in the water. It’s to go out and have fun, but plan to survive. People should tell someone when they’re going, where they’re going and when they plan to be back.

“Put on a lifejacket and practise swimming in still water, practise swimming in the surf, practise getting into a life raft,” he continued.

He also encouraged people to prepare for the worst in advance, sharing how crucial this can be to avoiding fatality. 

“Our organisations are all working together as hard as we can to get the message to people at the beach level.”

Lastly, Jaakko Heikkilä, the International Programme Manager for the IMRF, followed by outlining the initiatives and events planned for the year ahead. 

The IMRF’s vision is: zero lives lost on the world’s waters. This coming year, the IMRF is creating opportunities for community and learning with a wide range of activities and events, both online and in-person.

#FutureSAR climate change initiative Phase 2 will be published in the coming weeks, and the IMRF will have the first online training of the IMRF SAR Training Academy at the end of February. Jaakko emphasised how crucial training and learning is in strengthening the SAR community. Events such as the Mental Health and Wellbeing Workshop in November in St Malo, France, and the Global SAR System Review Workshops in USA, Poland, Ghana and Malaysia, reflect the IMRF’s commitment to a global impact. 

Keep an eye on the IMRF platforms and channels for upcoming events, activities, and publications.