Short answer
Call 112 and ask for sea rescue, or call SWEDEN RESCUE on VHF channel 16. Both routes go to the Swedish Maritime Administration's maritime and aeronautical rescue coordination centre JRCC, which is staffed around the clock. If you raise the alarm through the 112 app with location services turned on, your position is sent along. If you see an accident or a distress signal, raise the alarm right away.
Three ways to raise the alarm
| Method | How to do it |
|---|---|
| Phone | Call 112 and say "sea rescue". You will be connected to JRCC. |
| 112 app | Raise the alarm in the app with location services turned on and your position is sent automatically. |
| VHF | Channel 16, call SWEDEN RESCUE, distress signal MAYDAY. With DSC, call 002653000. The working channel is 67 or 74 depending on where you are. |
Sjöfartsverket leads rescue at sea along the coast and on Vänern, Vättern and Mälaren. On other lakes, the municipal rescue service is responsible. You call 112 in both cases. The VHF guide shows exactly how a distress call on VHF sounds, word for word.
What JRCC will ask
- Who you are and your mobile number.
- Whether there are other mobile phones on board.
- What the alarm is about.
- How many people are in danger.
- Where you are.
- What you plan to do.
Have your boat's details gathered before anything happens. The police boat card is a fillable PDF with your boat's identifying features that you can save on your phone and print out.
When you see someone else in distress at sea
If you spot someone in distress at sea, you are required to help. In a rescue operation you must assist if you can do so without serious danger to your own boat and the people on board. If you raise the alarm about an accident you have witnessed, use the distress signal MAYDAY RELAY on VHF. As skipper, you are required to do everything you can to save the people on board your own boat.
Most common reasons for alarms
In summer, engine or propeller failure is the most common cause, closely followed by running aground. Between May and August 2023 there were 632 life-saving sea rescue operations. Much of this can be prevented: replace the impeller in time, learn what to do when the engine overheats and read the guide to running aground.
Tell someone ashore where you're going and when you expect to arrive. If an expected call doesn't come, the boat can be reported missing to JRCC.
Frequently asked questions
What number do I call in a distress situation at sea?
112. Ask for sea rescue and you will be connected to Sjöfartsverket's maritime and aeronautical rescue centre.
What is the call on VHF called?
SWEDEN RESCUE on channel 16. The distress signal is MAYDAY. Channel 16 is monitored around the clock.
What does MAYDAY RELAY mean?
This is the distress signal you use to report an accident you have witnessed, when someone else is in distress.
Am I required to help another boat?
Yes, if someone is in distress at sea. In a rescue you must help if you can do so without serious danger to your own boat or the people on board.
Can I report a boat as missing?
Yes. If an expected contact doesn't happen, you can report the boat as missing to the maritime and aeronautical rescue centre by calling 112.
Sources
- När olyckan är framme, Sjöfartsverket sjofartsverket.se
- Så hanteras ditt larm via telefon, VHF och RAKEL, Sjöfartsverket sjofartsverket.se
- Båtkort, Polisen polisen.se