Things to know before you go

From a search and rescue (SAR) perspective, there are two important components to consider when venturing into remote areas. You need to be able to:

1. Alert SAR authorities if you are in grave or imminent danger, such as where you feel you are faced with a life threatening situation and require rescuing.
2. Maintain your survival until help arrives (this includes having the correct safety equipment).

The most effective means of alerting SAR authorities is by two-way communication:

• mobile phone
• radio
• satellite phone.

Two-way communication enables you to provide SAR authorities with:

• your location
• whether medical assistance is required
• a detailed description of your situation.

If two-way communication is unavailable, activate your beacon. This will alert SAR authorities to your distress situation.

SAR authorities will then call your emergency contacts to gain important information to help plan the most effective SAR response.

Therefore, it is important to ensure your:

• beacon is properly registered with up-to-date trip plans
• emergency contacts are aware of your plans.

EPIRB checklist—help us help you

How to make your rescue quicker.

• Keep your registration details up to date
• Upload trip plans and photos
• Store your EPIRB correctly
• Check battery expiry
• Test your EPIRB
• Know how to use your EPIRB

Related information

• Marine—stay safe at sea, be prepared before your trip
• Land—stay safe on land, be prepared before your trip
• Aviation—stay safe in the air, be prepared before your trip
• Visit our beacons website to register your beacon or update your registration details