Search and rescue Facts for Kids

Search and rescue Eurocopter EC145 in Ukraine.

Search and rescue is when people look for a person who is lost or in danger. It is usually carried by ships, helicopters, or land vehicles that are specially equipped. Most of these missions take place at sea or in the mountains. Search and rescue missions are performed by civilian and military rescuers, or firemen.

Combat search and rescue is a military variant performed by special forces on the battlefield.

Types of search and rescue
Images for kids
See also

Types of search and rescue

Rescue rope training

Search and Rescue students give the "I am all right" signal to let the SAR instructors know that they are ready for further instructions at the pool on board Naval Station San Diego.

Ground (Lowland) search and rescue

Ground search and rescue is the search for persons who are lost or in distress on land or inland waterways. People may go missing for a variety of reasons. Some may disappear voluntarily, due to issues like domestic abuse. Others disappear for involuntary reasons such as mental illness, getting lost, an accident, death in a location where they cannot be found or, less commonly, due to abduction. Ground search and rescue missions that occur in urban areas should not be confused with "urban search and rescue", which in many jurisdictions refers to the location and extraction of people from collapsed buildings or other entrapments.

In most countries, the police are the primary agency for carrying out searches for a missing person on land. Some places have voluntary search and rescue teams that can be called out to assist these searches.

Mountain rescue

Mountain rescue relates to search and rescue operations specifically in rugged and mountainous terrain.

Cave rescue

Cave rescue is a highly specialized form of rescue for rescuing injured, trapped or lost cave explorers.

Urban search and rescue

Urban search and rescue (US&R or USAR), also referred to as Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR), is the location and rescue of persons from collapsed buildings or other urban and industrial entrapments. Due to the specialized nature of the work, most teams are multi-disciplinary and include personnel from police, fire and emergency medical services. Unlike traditional ground search and rescue workers, most US&R responders also have basic training in structural collapse and the dangers associated with live electrical wires, broken natural gas lines and other hazards. While earthquakes have traditionally been the cause of US&R operations, terrorist attacks and extreme weather such as tornadoes and hurricanes have also resulted in the deployment of these resources.

Combat search and rescue

Combat search and rescue (CSAR) is search and rescue operations that are carried out during war that are within or near combat zones.

Maritime search and rescue

An US Navy rescue swimmer swims toward a stranded boat near Guam in 2019

Maritime search and rescue is carried out at sea to save sailors and passengers in distress, or the survivors of downed aircraft. The type of agency which carries out maritime search and rescue varies by country; it may variously be the coast guard, navy or voluntary organizations. When a distressed or missing vessel is located, these organizations deploy helicopters, rescue vessels or any other appropriate vessel to return them to land. In some cases, the agencies may carry out an air-sea rescue (ASR). This refers to the combined use of aircraft (such as flying boats, floatplanes, amphibious helicopters and non-amphibious helicopters equipped with hoists) and surface vessels.

Images for kids

A Canadian Forces AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant helicopter hoists a man from a Canadian Coast Guard cutter
A SAR cruiser of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service
A rescue air crewman aboard Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service Lifesaver 1 in action.
BSAR searchers at Mount Dom Dom.
Canadian Forces CC-115 Buffalo fixed wing SAR aircraft from 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron.
CH-146 Griffon in SAR markings
Boeing-Vertol CH-113 Labrador SAR helicopter, the predecessor of the CH-149 Cormorant
C-130 are also used by the Canadian Forces for SAR operations
A boat of the Search and Rescue Service in Trogir, Spring 2014
A Cyprus Air Force AW139 SAR helicopter during a search and rescue demonstration
Royal Danish Air Force S-61A with its rescue swimmer
SAR training by the Estonian Border Guard.
A French all-weather lifeboat from the SNSM.
A cruiser of the DGzRS and a SeaKing helicopter of the German Navy
Hong Kong GFS AS332 L2 Super Puma SAR helicopter
HK GFS EC155 helicopter
Royal Air Force Westland Wessex HC2 SAR helicopter off Hong Kong
Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force Aérospatiale SA 360 Dauphin SAR helicopter
Icelandic Coast Guard Eurocopter AS-365N Dauphin 2 helicopter
Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S-61N SAR helicopter
A search and rescue demonstration by an Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S-61 helicopter and a RNLI lifeboat.
Helicopter of Magen David Adom
Italian AgustaWestland AW139 for sea rescue.
Italian AS365 Dauphin rescue helicopter
MMEA's Eurocopter AS365 N3 Dauphin used for SAR and surveillance.
The AFM's search and rescue launches Melita I and Melita II have been used for search and rescue operations since 1999.
The veteran Norwegian rescue ship Biskop Hvoslef
Portuguese Search and Rescue Area
A Polish Navy W-3 Sokół SAR helicopter hoists a crew member
CASA CN-235 Maritime Patrol aircraft of the Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Maritima.
Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Maritima AgustaWestland AW139 SAR helicopter
Swedish rescue vessel Drottning Silvia (Queen Silvia) in front of the Royal Castle in Stockholm, Sweden
REGA Agusta A109 K2.
Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) teams in search and rescue mission 2011 Van earthquakes.
Royal Air Force Westland Sea King
HM Coastguard Sikorsky S-92 SAR helicopter
US Coast Guard Eurocopter HH-65 Dolphin SAR helicopter
US Coast Guard Sikorsky HH-60 Jayhawk SAR helicopter
Spanish Air Force Aérospatiale SA330J Puma of the 801 Squadron of the Air Force. Note the lettering reading "SAR".