ABOUT US
Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue is the volunteer lifeboat service on the West Coast. We work alongside other agencies who respond to on-water emergencies such as the Canadian Coast Guard, police, and fire departments. RCM-SAR handles about 450 calls per year or about a quarter of all marine emergencies on the West Coast. We assist about 400 people each year, about 20% of whom were in dangerous situations.
In many communities, the RCM-SAR rescue station is the primary marine emergency responder.
WHEN AN EMERGENCY OCCURS,
we are tasked by the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Victoria, operated by the Canadian Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard. Once our vessels are underway, crews keep in touch with JRCC through Coast Guard radio dispatchers. Our crews resolve incidents independently or work in partnership with other agencies on the water.
RCM-SAR is an all-volunteer organization that operates more than 31 marine rescue stations on the British Columbia coast and in the B.C. Interior. From Vancouver’s busy harbour to the remote waters of the North Coast, our crews are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, ready to respond to marine emergencies with 950 professionally trained volunteers and 45 rescue vessels. We responded to emergencies that include sinking vessels, injured mariners, lost or disoriented boaters, recreational paddlers caught in currents or bad weather, and shoreline searches for missing hikers and others.
Our volunteers dedicate more than 20,000 hours of their time every year to saving lives: on missions, in training and in the community.
Pictured: Map of Coastal BC with RCM-SAR stations mapped in red pins.
OUR VESSELS
RCMSAR Station 1 operates two dedicated rescue vessels designed for rapid response in the challenging waters of Howe Sound and the entrance to Burrard Inlet. Equipped for search and rescue operations in all conditions, these vessels allow our volunteer crews to respond quickly and safely when help is needed on the water.
Explore SAR 1: