News & Announcements from RCMSAR
RCMSAR Comes to the Aid of a Stranded Hiker.
A hiker on Vancouver Island recently found themselves in a precarious situation. They had veered off the trail and, surrounded by unforgiving terrain, could see the water but couldn't make any headway. Realizing the gravity of their predicament, and having the...
Safe Boating Awareness Week
Safe Boating Awareness Week has been the mainstay of boating safety to over 16 million people who recreate on Canadian waters. Boating is not quite into full gear yet, with some areas of the country open and some soon to open. Because many are getting onto the water...
Global BC – This is BC: RCMSAR’s Amber Sheasgreen taking her skills overseas
Thank you, Global BC, for putting together this fantastic video story that highlights one of RCMSAR's inspiring volunteers, Amber...
Donate to RCMSAR
Your contributions help support our volunteer training and our keep our equipment in excellent condition. Donations are also used for prevention programs that save lives on the water before a rescue is needed.
RCMSAR 2017 Annual Report
See RCMSAR's rescue and prevention activities for 2017, including details on partnerships, how we support our volunteers, financial support and future plans. Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue is a volunteer-based organization that operates more than 30 marine...
The Readiness Project
What is the Readiness Project? The Readiness Project is a multi-year project intended to improve operational readiness across the entire organization in three pillars: training, personnel and support. Our approach to the project is to use evidence-based information to...
SAREX 2017
SAREx 2017 was the biggest and best yet with nearly 170 RCMSAR crew participating plus members of our Board of Governors, Headquarters team and our Canadian Coast Guard SAR partners. The event, which took place May 12–14 at the Sunshine Coast’s Camp Elphinstone, was...
North Vancouver Crew Member Prepares for Norwegian Adventure
When and why did you join RCMSAR? I joined RCMSAR Station Squamish in the summer of 2015. I joined during a gap year between high school and university. Throughout high school I was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, getting my first exposure to first aid,...
Project Partner Chosen for World Maritime Rescue Congress
We are now one step closer towards the successful execution of the much-anticipated World Maritime Rescue Congress, planned for June 2019 in Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention Centre’s East Building. It is with great pleasure that I share the announcement of our...
Mill Bay Coxswain Trains with International Maritime Rescue Federation
By Chris Wickham, Coxswain, RCMSAR Station Mill Bay This winter I had the privilege of attending the IMRF Lifeboat Crew Exchange Programme in Germany, hosted by the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS). The objective: to share experiences, ideas, and best practices and to improve training and operational capacity. Our group had volunteer professionals […]
RCMSAR Crews Respond to Simulated Ferry Fire in Exercise Salish Sea 2017
Six RCMSAR stations recently took part in an on-water mass rescue operations training exercise jointly managed by the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Coast Guard with coordination at the provincial level provided by Emergency Management BC. On October 25, a simulated fire took place onboard BC Ferries MV Coastal Renaissance in Trincomali Channel […]
Woman Rescued After Five Hours in the Strait of Georgia
In an incident described by rescue crews as a miracle, a woman who jumped from a BC Ferry survived for five hours in BC’s frigid coastal waters before being rescued by an RCMSAR Station West Vancouver crew. At 5:48 p.m. on October 30, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre tasked RCMSAR Station West Vancouver to respond […]
West Vancouver Crew Helps save Four in Interagency Rescue
An RCMSAR West Vancouver crew took part in the dramatic rescue of four people forced to abandon their sinking vessel near Bowen Island. On September 1, RCMSAR Station West Vancouver received the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre’s Mayday call at 4:21 p.m. Coxswain Roger Wagstaff and crew members Jake Brownlie, Mike Cupit and Hugh Kelsey departed […]
Dream of New Rescue Boat Becomes Reality for RCMSAR Station Shuswap
RCMSAR’s sole inland-SAR station expanded their fleet this summer, launching their new vessel during Sicamous’ annual Sun and Sand Parade. RCMSAR Station Shuswap welcomed the Tolonen, 40-foot 2007 Titan rigid inflatable SAR boat, on August 2, after a lengthy ground and water journey from its original base in Victoria. On August 5, the Tolonen joined […]
Three Stations Honoured at AGM for Outstanding Missions
RCMSAR Station Lax Kw’alaams April 16, 2017 At 1955, RCMSAR Station Lax K’walaams was tasked by JRCC Victoria to a report of a 17-foot pleasure craft overturned at the south end of Birnie Island. Crew members James Henry, Dwayne Wesley and Glen Wesley departed home base to assist. When the FRC arrived on-scene they located […]
The Deadly Dozen
A recent marine guidance note from the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) outlines twelve of the most common people-related factors in maritime accidents. While most accidents result from a combination of several different factors, ranging from purely technical...
Volunteer With RCMSAR
Interested in becoming a volunteer? We would love to hear from you.
Contact your local RCMSAR Rescue Station for more information.