Immediate Maritime Emergency
If lives are in danger, call 911 immediately or hail the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16. Below are quick-dial numbers and resources for boaters in U.S. waters and the Bahamas.
Dial 911
Coast Guard, fire, medical, or any life-threatening situation while in U.S. waters. Dial 911 manually from your phone.
Call 911VHF Channel 16
International distress, safety, and calling frequency. Use MAYDAY for life-threatening, PAN-PAN for urgent but non-life-threatening situations.
BASRA — Bahamas Air-Sea Rescue Association
Volunteer marine search-and-rescue for non life-threatening local boat emergencies across the Bahamian islands.
Tap to call BASRA directly from your phone:
Maritime emergency procedures, step by step
A maritime emergency is anything that threatens life, vessel, or environment. The U.S. Coast Guard classifies distress in three escalating tiers — distress (grave and imminent danger, MAYDAY), urgency (serious but not immediately life-threatening, PAN-PAN), and safety (navigational warnings, SÉCURITÉ). Understanding which signal applies to your situation determines how fast and how widely help reaches you.
U.S. Coast Guard guidance
The U.S. Coast Guard maintains 24/7 search-and-rescue coverage for U.S. inland waters, the U.S. EEZ, and portions of the Caribbean and Pacific. Each Coast Guard Sector monitors VHF Channel 16 continuously. When you hail Channel 16, the Sector watchstander records your call, attempts a position fix using direction-finding equipment, and either dispatches a rescue asset (helicopter, surface boat, cutter) or coordinates the Good Samaritan vessels in your area.
The Coast Guard expects vessels above 16 feet to carry a working VHF radio, properly sized life jackets for every person aboard, visual distress signals (flares, day-night signal mirror, electronic distress lights), and a sound-producing device (horn or whistle). Vessels routinely operating offshore should also carry a registered 406 MHz EPIRB with current battery and hydrostatic release, a PLB for each crew member working on deck, and a properly tested life raft sized for the maximum crew complement.
VHF distress procedure
Step 1 — Switch and signal
Tune VHF Channel 16 (156.800 MHz). Set transmit to high power (25 watts). If your radio has DSC, press the dedicated red distress button and hold for five seconds — the radio automatically transmits a digital distress alert with your MMSI, position, and time.
Step 2 — Voice MAYDAY
Transmit: "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. This is [vessel name], [vessel name], [vessel name]. MAYDAY [vessel name]. Position [latitude/longitude, or bearing and distance from a charted feature]. Nature of distress [taking on water, fire, medical, etc.]. [Number] persons on board. Require immediate assistance. Over."
Step 3 — Hold, listen, repeat
Release the microphone and wait 60 seconds. If no response, repeat. If the Coast Guard responds, follow their instructions exactly — do not switch channels unless directed. If you must abandon ship, leave the radio transmitting MAYDAY and take a handheld VHF with you in the life raft.
Common emergency scenarios
Taking on water
Start the bilge pumps, identify the source if possible, and stuff the leak with anything available (cushion, mattress, towel, seacock plug). Send MAYDAY immediately — don't wait to see if the pumps keep up. Deploy the life raft on deck (do not inflate yet) and don life jackets.
Onboard fire
Sound the alarm, head into the wind to keep flames off the cabin, secure fuel and electrical, and discharge fire extinguishers at the base of the fire. Send MAYDAY. Engine-room fires from a fuel leak escalate within seconds — abandon decision criteria should be set in advance, not improvised.
Medical emergency
PAN-PAN if the patient is stable; MAYDAY if life-threatening (chest pain, severe bleeding, head injury, anaphylaxis). The Coast Guard can patch you through to a duty surgeon for guidance and coordinate helicopter medevac if the patient's condition warrants it.
Person overboard
Shout MOB, post a pointer, hit the MOB button on the chartplotter (records GPS position), throw a floating cushion. Execute a return maneuver (Williamson turn, quick-stop, figure-eight) appropriate to the conditions. Send MAYDAY if the swimmer is not recovered within five minutes or if conditions are deteriorating.
Distress equipment checklist
Inspect monthly: VHF transmit/receive on a non-distress channel, EPIRB self-test, PLB self-test, flare expiration dates, life jacket inflators and CO2 cylinders, fire extinguisher gauges, life raft service date, and abandonment grab-bag contents (handheld VHF, signal mirror, water, knife, first aid, passports, ship papers).
After the emergency
File a Coast Guard incident report if the situation involved rescue assets, injury, or significant property damage. Notify your insurance carrier within the policy's required window. Debrief the crew while details are fresh — every recreational mariner gets better by reviewing what worked and what didn't.
For weather-driven prevention, see marine safety tools, boating safety weather, and the wind forecast. For hurricane-shelter planning, browse hurricane-safe marinas.
Frequently asked emergency questions
What number do I dial for a maritime emergency in U.S. waters?
Dial 911 or hail the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16. VHF is preferred at sea — cell coverage drops below the horizon, but VHF reaches Coast Guard sector facilities and any vessel within range who can assist.
What's the difference between MAYDAY and PAN-PAN?
MAYDAY is reserved for grave and imminent danger to life or vessel (sinking, fire, medical emergency, abandoning ship). PAN-PAN is the urgency signal for serious but non-life-threatening situations (disabled boat in a safe location, lost crew member overboard recovered, towing assistance needed).
How do I make a MAYDAY call?
Switch to VHF Channel 16, full power. Transmit: 'MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. This is [vessel name × 3]. MAYDAY [vessel name]. Position [lat/long or bearing/distance from a charted feature]. Nature of distress [sinking, fire, etc.]. Persons on board [number]. Requesting [immediate assistance]. Over.' Hold the mic and listen for response.
What do I do if I capsize or abandon ship?
Stay with the boat if it remains afloat — it's easier to spot than a swimmer. Activate the EPIRB or PLB, fire flares only when you see or hear a potential rescuer, and conserve body heat by huddling. Don't swim for shore unless it's clearly within 100 yards.
Does WetSlipFinder dispatch rescue services?
No. We publish reference phone numbers and procedure summaries for planning. All emergency response is provided by the U.S. Coast Guard (in U.S. waters), BASRA (Bahamas), or local emergency services. Always dial 911 or hail Channel 16 first.
What's BASRA?
Bahamas Air-Sea Rescue Association — a volunteer maritime search-and-rescue organization covering Bahamian waters. BASRA handles non-life-threatening local marine emergencies; life-threatening situations should still hail the U.S. Coast Guard on Channel 16 if within range of a U.S. sector.
How often should I test my distress equipment?
Monthly: VHF radio function test (not on Channel 16), EPIRB self-test button, life jacket auto-inflator service date, flare expiration dates. Annually: full EPIRB battery and hydrostatic release inspection by an authorized service center.