Thanks to a major three-year grant from The TK Foundation, the IMRF has launched the Maritime SAR Academy for maritime SAR personnel and commercial seafarers. It is a modern, accessible e-learning programme designed to strengthen lifesaving capability worldwide. Read more
Since 2012, the IMRF has been working to develop maritime SAR resources and capability. We have run Mass Rescue Operations (MRO) Workshops across Asia and in South America. In Europe, we run our annual Lifeboat Crew Exchange. In September 2025, the IMRF welcomed 58 lifeboat crew members from nine European countries - Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and for the first time, Poland - alongside visiting participants from Australia. The exchange delivered a powerful mix of hands-on training, cultural cross-learning and peer-to-peer collaboration. By working with Maritime Administrations, MRCCs and MRSCs across the globe, to identify development needs and provide specialist programmes of training, knowledge-sharing and international networking, the IMRF has trained 100s of SAR personnel across Africa.
In June 2025, the IMRF, in partnership with Lloyd’s Register Foundation, launched the first-ever Global Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) Systems Review in order to understand, evaluate and help strengthen maritime SAR systems worldwide. This strategic review will assess the current effectiveness of SAR capabilities at local, national, and international levels, identify emerging risks and critical gaps, and deliver long-term, evidence-based recommendations to ensure SAR systems remain resilient in an increasingly complex maritime environment. The review will also identify key challenges and opportunities that could shape global maritime SAR systems over the next 10 to 20 years. It will examine the effects of climate change, geopolitical instability, and economic pressures. Additionally, the initiative aims to gain a deeper understanding of regional disparities in SAR capacity.
The IMRF has secured a major grant worth US$450,000 from The TK Foundation to create the world’s first free global e-learning system for the maritime search and rescue (SAR) sector. The project marks a major milestone in international efforts to strengthen the capabilities of key SAR and shipping personnel and close critical training gaps for those who continue to put their lives at risk at sea.
For more details on how you can support global SAR development, please contact us at [email protected]