The latest in safety equipment speeds rescue of mariners

摘要

A bandoning a stricken ship is almost certainly the most difficult decision a mariner will ever have to face. Once that decision is made, the victims survival is dependent on a timely rescue. Emergency position-indicating radio beacons, or EPIRBs, have helped dramatically to reduce the time it takes to locate survivors. Until recently, EPIRBs were essentially homing devices with limited range; but advances in satellite and GPS technology have greatly improved chances for survival by making the precise reporting of position possible.