Canada Shipping Act, 2001

Marginal note:Designation of rescue coordinators

• 130 (1) The Minister may designate persons as rescue coordinators to organize search and rescue operations.

• Marginal note:Power of rescue coordinators

  (2) On being informed that a person, a vessel or an aircraft is in distress or is missing in Canadian waters or on the high seas off any of the coasts of Canada under circumstances that indicate that they may be in distress, a rescue coordinator may

  • (a) direct all vessels within an area that the rescue coordinator specifies to report their positions;

  • (b) direct any vessel to take part in a search for that person, vessel or aircraft or to otherwise render assistance;

  • (c) give any other directions that the rescue coordinator considers necessary to carry out search and rescue operations for that person, vessel or aircraft; and

  • (d) use any lands if it is necessary to do so for the purpose of saving the life of a shipwrecked person.

• Marginal note:Duty to comply

  (3) Every vessel or person on board a vessel in Canadian waters and every vessel or person on board a vessel in any waters that has a master who is a qualified person shall comply with a direction given to it or them under subsection (2).