Frequently Asked Questions by Subject
Search and Rescue
How many search and rescue incidents are there in Canada each year? Is the number of search and rescue incidents in Canada rising or falling? What area of Canada has the most search and rescue activity? What is the most common cause of search and rescue activity in Canada? What search and rescue event in Canadian history generated the most attention?
Q:	How many search and rescue incidents are there in Canada each year?
A:	About 8,000. SAR groups (paid and volunteer) across the country are prepared to respond.
Q:	Is the number of search and rescue incidents in Canada rising or falling?
A:	Rising — with increased boating, flying and outdoor activities, and a growing number of people with Alzheimer’s disease, the number is going up.
Q:	What area of Canada has the most search and rescue activity?
A:	British Columbia, because of its terrain and climate and because it is a maritime province.
Q:	What is the most common cause of search and rescue activity in Canada?
A:	Marine vessels, mostly pleasure boats, cause the most SAR call-outs.
Q:	What search and rescue event in Canadian history generated the most attention?
A:	Undoubtedly the sinking of the Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland in 1912. The loss of the Franklin expedition to find a northwest passage to Asia in 1845–50 generated enormous interest. In recent memory, however, the sinking of the Ocean Ranger oilrig in 1982, with the loss of 84 lives, led to the establishment of the National Search and Rescue Secretariat.