Who are we?

Aviation and Maritime incidents and accidents, just like any other forms of disaster have inflicted a heavy loss in human lives and material. They represent a potentially significant obstacle to economic growth and development particularly if measures are not in place to deal with them effectively and efficiently.

As member of ICAO and the IMO as well as party to the relevant International Conventions, South Africa recognize the great importance of saving lives and the need to be directly involved in rendering aeronautical and maritime search and rescue service to person in distress. South Africa is also aware of its obligations in terms of these Conventions hence the Government involvement in the provision of these services.

South Africa also acknowledges that SAR is humanitarian in nature and accepts its moral obligation to assist craft and person in distress in terms of established international practice founded in international law. International law requires of signatory states to establish SAR systems on a multi-agency, regional or global basis to provide SAR services. South Africa has over the years, developed her own national SAR system that is being associated with other countries' SAR system through bilateral agreements.

Due to the limited SAR resources, South Africa has adopted a multi-agency approach in her implementation of the SAR Programme as evidenced by the number of organizations involved on a voluntary basis in the execution of this mandate.

The SAR capability in South Africa is in the hands of voluntary organizations, private undertakings and some government institutions whose core functions are not search and rescue. For these reasons there was a need to co-ordinate and manage these widely scattered and limited resources in an endeavor to provide South Africa with a world class search capability.

To this end, the South African Search and Rescue Organization (SASAR) was established to execute the search and rescue mandate in South Africa, as well as to ensure a co-ordinated approach in the management and implementation of the SAR Programme.
 

Purpose

Vision

The vision of SASAR is of a SAR Programme that will best address all distress situation involving aviators and mariners in our search and rescue regions, by adopting and implementing systems and processes that will foster co-operation with relevant countries, promote the implementation of international best practices and enhance the economic, effective and efficient utilization of available resources.

Mission

Historical Background

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Prior to 1958, there was no single organisation responsible for Search and Rescue in South Africa. In the event of an accident at sea a Port Captain would take the necessary action as he deemed would be to best advantage and the people he called upon for help would assist as best they could.

Similarly, the aviation authorities, the SAAF, SAPS and Telephone Exchanges always assisted where necessary. The shipping and aviation activity increased to such an extent that there was a need for a dedicated organisation in line with International standards. The then Minister of Transport instructed that a permanent committee, embracing all the Government Departments which could contribute services or the facilities for search and rescue, must be established with the object of co-ordinating the country search and rescue efforts.

On 1st of October 1958, the Department of Transport became responsible for the co-ordination of the South African Search and Rescue Services, and as a result the Permanent Committee for Search Rescue was established.

In October 1961, the Minister of Transport widened the scope of the Permanent Committee and changed its title to PECSAR, which stands for Permanent Committee for Search and Rescue.

The most significant change in its form of operation was the establishment of two sub-committees, maritime and aeronautical, to attend to detailed matters pertaining to their respective fields. This worked very well and engendered a search and rescue consciousness on a wider field.

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The two sub-committee reported to the main committee on their activities although they could refer any urgent matter to the main committee at any time.

One of the first requirements of the PECSAR Organisation was to prescribe standard procedures, with the result that a Working Group was formed to draw up a Manual.

The PECSAR Manual eventually saw the light of day in its bilingual printed form in October 1961.

In 1979 the PECSAR committee changed its name to the SOUTH AFRICAN SEARCH AND RESCUE ORGANIZATION (SASAR), to keep with its national character and to identify itself as a South African Organization.

The SASAR Organization tasked the Head of Maritime SAR operations, the Head of Aviation SAR operations and SASAR Secretariat to update the Manual. The new revised Manual came into effect in August 1993.

 Functions

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SASAR must within its means and capabilities co-ordinate its measures to:

• Search for, assist and, where appropriate, effect a rescue operation for:
  • A survivor of aircraft crashes or forced landings.
  • The crew and passengers of vessels in distress.
  • Survivors of maritime casualties within SASAR area of responsibility.
  • Survivors of any military aircraft or vessels accidents or incidents if such aircraft or vessel is not engaged in an act of war.
• co-ordinate the evacuation of a seriously injured or ill person from a vessel at sea where the person's condition is such that he or she must obtain medical treatment sooner than that vessel would be able to get him or her to a suitable medical facility.

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