The U.S. Coast Guard in Guam is honoring the inaugural Global Search and Rescue Day, recognizing the lifesaving role of satellite distress technology that has safeguarded mariners for more than four decades.

It was Sept. 10, 1982, when the COSPAS-SARSAT system first guided rescuers to a downed aircraft in Canada, saving three lives. Since then, the technology has transformed maritime safety across the world.

Here in Guam, Coast Guard Forces Micronesia oversees a 1.9 million square nautical mile search zone, where Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons, known as EPIRBs, help watchstanders quickly locate vessels in distress.

Recent rescues, including the Lucky Harvest west of Guam and the Black Pearl near Palau, highlight how these beacons turn hours of searching into rapid responses, saving lives while keeping Coast Guard crews mission-ready for homeland security and maritime defense.

Global Search and Rescue Day pays tribute to the watchstanders and responders who turn signals into safety, saving an average of ten lives each day worldwide.