According to the SAR Convention (1979), all information concerning a vessel in distress will be forwarded to the rescue co-ordination center concerned.
Chapter 4: Operating procedures
4.2.3 Any authority or element of the search and rescue service having reason to believe that a person, a vessel or other craft is in a state of emergency shall forward as soon as possible all available information to the rescue co-ordination centre or rescue sub-centre concerned.
According to the SOLAS Convention search and rescue units should proceed immediately to the distress event and inform the relevant rescue co-ordination centre.
Chapter V
Regulation 33: “Any search and rescue unit receiving information of a distress incident shall initially take immediate
action if in the position to assist and shall, in any case without delay, notify the rescue co-ordination centre or rescue
subcentre in whose area the incident has occurred”.
