Overview

• Organizers set the observance on Sept. 10 to commemorate the program’s first credited rescue on Sept. 10, 1982, in British Columbia, Canada.
• COSPAS–SARSAT brings together 45 nations and SAR organizations, with U.S. operations led by NOAA, the Coast Guard, NASA, and the Department of the Air Force.
• When a 406 MHz beacon is activated, NOAA satellites route the alert to the U.S. Mission Control Center in Maryland, which forwards it to Rescue Coordination Centers for land or maritime response.
• NOAA reports more than 63,000 rescues worldwide since 1982, with 411 lives saved in the United States last year and roughly 190 rescues in or near U.S. waters so far in 2025, including five from an April plane crash near Coos Bay, Oregon.
• Officials continue to urge legal registration of emergency beacons, which speeds verification, reduces false alarms, and helps responders send the right assistance.