How does the GMDSS help in distress situations?
Ships fitted with GMDSS equipment are safer at sea – and more likely to receive assistance in the event of a distress – because the GMDSS provides for automatic distress alerting and locating when a radio operator does not have time to send out a distress call. The GMDSS also requires ships to receive broadcasts of maritime safety information which could prevent a distress from happening, and requires ships to carry satellite emergency position indicating beacons (EPIRBs), which float free from a sinking ship and alert rescue authorities with the ship’s identity and location.
