trans-oceanic ships and aircraft, but also the smaller and often less 

 fully equipped coastal vessels, pleasure boats, small aircraft, and fish- 

 ing fleets. Medium-range amphibian aircraft and smaller ships can 

 carry out long searches at this distance. Under favorable conditions, 

 the amphibians can land at sea to rescue survivors of ditched aircraft 

 or sunken vessels, or to pick up people needing emergency medical care. 



Search and Rescue's busiest area is short range, within 100 miles of 

 shore. Everything that can happen to an aircraft or ship in mid- 

 ocean can also happen here. In addition, people are stranded by in- 

 coming tides, small craft are overturned, disabled boats are caught in 

 surf, swimmers become exhausted, and fishermen get lost in early dark- 

 ness. The vast increase in pleasure boating during recent years has 

 multiplied the frequency of this type of emergency. The classic sea- 

 side Lifeboat Station is of particular value along the coasts. They 

 have communications equipment, boats, and vehicles. Their tradi- 

 tional function of taking surviving seamen off wrecked vessels has 

 been replaced largely by helping the pleasure cruiser or the shallow- 

 draft conunercial fisherman in distress. 



Within the 100-mile area the patrol craft can usually reach the scene 

 within 6 hours after the first call for help goes out, the helicopter much 

 sooner. In evacuating people from areas of floods, fires, storms, etc., 

 and in towing boats for limited distances, the helicopter is the work- 

 horse of the Coast Guard. 



Search and Rescue duties also include holding until the owners 

 claim it property saved from disasters, supplying food, clothing, shel- 

 ter, and medicine to those rescued, and destroying or towing to port 

 sunken or floating dangers to navigation. 



On a somewhat reduced scale, these services are also extended to the 

 waters of the Gulf of Alaska and the Aleutian-Bering Sea, and the 

 Hawaiian Islands. 



Since other agencies of the U.S. Government also engage in SAR, 

 the National Search and Rescue Manual, approved in July 1959, defines 

 geographic jurisdictions and responsibilities among the Air Force, 

 Coast Guard, and the Overseas Unified Commands duties of SAR co- 

 ordinators. 



The basic agreement affecting Coast Guard's SAR function is the 

 National Search and Rescue Plan, designed to integrate into a co- 

 operative network available U.S. search and rescue facilities, to be co- 

 ordinated in any one area by a single Federal agency. 



The United States has Search and Rescue treaties with Canada and 

 Mexico and other agreements providing for entry of one into the other's 

 national waters, respective responsibilities, and cooperative efforts. 



Agreements providing for SAR cooperation also exist with ICAO 

 and North Atlantic Ocean Station vessels. 



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