Harnessing Inland Search Phases for a Maritime Search 

In the Inland Search Considerations post, I outlined a structured, four phase approach to initial helicopter search actions in inland environments. Because this same approach provides an excellent framework for onscene actions in maritime environments, particularly in near-shore or large river environments, in this post I adapt these phases to maritime search and rescue (SAR). 

Phase 1 – Electronic 

The first phase—whether inland or maritime—is almost always electronic. Beginning while enroute and continuing throughout the search, this phase includes monitoring the appropriate radio frequencies, using direction-finding equipment, RADAR, and tools such as the EO/IR and any other available sensors. 

Phase 2a – Attraction 

The attraction phase includes arrival onscene and subsequent positioning of the helicopter so it can be seen and heard, which usually requires climbing above normal altitudes and orbiting the search area. If conditions permit, turn on search, hover, and landing lights. 

The objective is simple: draw out a signal. That signal might be a radio call, strobe light, beacon, flare, smoke, mirror, chem light, or even splashing in the water. 

I have been on many maritime searches where attraction has made the difference—survivors saw the helicopter first and then signaled. When survivor location confidence is high, the phase can be shortened. When confidence is low, spending more time in attraction increases the odds, especially if survivors are expected to have signaling devices. 

Phase 2b – Containment 

Containment can begin during attraction. It has two parts: 

• Speed of travel – Estimate how far the person could have moved since last known position. For vessels, speed and endurance matter; for persons in the water, current is usually the key factor. Tools include datum marker buoys, surface assets reporting set and drift, or online current data. 

• Feature containment – Consider natural or man-made features that restrict movement. In water, this could be shorelines, jetties, or dams. For overdue vessels, containment might be based on fuel capacity or the assumption that a vessel traveling through a busy waterway would likely have been sighted. 

Phase 3 – Hasty Search 

The hasty search focuses on areas with the highest probability of locating survivors. When searching over land, this often includes flying over trails, shelters, clearings, remote parking lots, etc. The thought process is the same for overdue vessels and could include flying over protected anchorages after rough weather, recreational locations frequented by the vessel operator, or known fishing grounds for the crew. For people in the water the hasty search may include debris fields, islands, buoys, or the immediate datum area. In maritime SAR, I also include the initial sector search from datum as part of this phase. 

Phase 4 – Organized Search 

The organized search consists of the structured patterns—parallel, creeping line, sector, track line, etc.—generated by Coast Guard command centers. These rely heavily on computer modeling of survivor drift over time. 

Communication with Command Centers  

Clear and direct communication between the command center and the helicopter crew regarding initial onscene action is important because the logic the crew uses to affect the first three phases of the search helps facilitate the command center’s ability to create the most effective organized search. If crews feel significant time should be spent in the attraction or hasty phases, they must convey that to the command center so that the organized search plan can be adjusted according to the new time frame. 

Final Thoughts  

I like this four phased approach because it helps crews to organize their initial assessment and actions. By combining the crew’s onscene initiative and ingenuity with the command center’s data driven method to organized searches, this approach provides survivors with the best probability of being found.  

A successful search is often the result of an inquisitive operator. One of my favorite search stories is from a Gulf Coast case where multiple Coast Guard aircraft had searched thousands of square miles over several days. Near the end of the search, a flight mechanic noticed that birds would flush out every abandoned oil rig they flew past, except for one. Thinking a human presence might be responsible for the lack of bird activity, he prompted the crew to double back, and at the base of that rig they found the survivor.