Emergency Contacts:
National Maritime Safety Authority
Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Port Moresby
Email Address: mrccpng@nmsa.gov.pg

24 Hour Emergency Contact Numbers:

Phone: (675) 305 4631
(675) 305 4660
(675) 305 4645

Fax: (675) 321 0484 / (675) 321 3051

Mobile : (675) 7685 9111 "B-Mobile"
(675) 7351 7017 "Digicel"
(675) 7288 4141 "Digicel"

Email: mrccpng@nmsa.gov.pg

About Search & Rescue in PNG

PNG Search and Rescue Region (SRR) covers some 690,000 square nautical miles of land and sea within which SAR services is provided. The search and rescue services is provided by Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre – Papua New Guinea, the national search and rescue organisation which is part of the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA).

Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre – Papua New Guinea

Operating 24 hours basis, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre – PNG in Port Moresby is responsible for the national coordination of maritime search and rescue. MRCC is also responsible for the management and operation of PNG registered 406 MHz Beacons, assist in medical evacuations and broadcast of maritime safety information.

Search and Rescue Procedure

On receiving a distress signal or being notified of a missing seagoing vessel and or small craft/boat (Banana boat), MRCC Papua New Guinea will take action to establish the safety of the vessel or source of the signal. The action may include:

Coordinating a search and rescue with assistance from other appropriate emergency organisations, such as Provincial Disaster Centres, PNG Air Services Ltd, Port Moresby Coast Radio Station, PNG Defence Force, Police, general aviation and shipping industry, volunteer rescue groups, National Weather Bureau.

Passing coordination to the appropriate provincial disaster coordinators and police to conduct search and rescue operations within their jurisdiction.

Distress Alerts

MRCC Port Moresby conducts investigation into distress alerts from 406 MHz Radio Beacons detected from vessels, radio distress calls (maydays), flare sightings, calls from worried friends or relatives or the more formal overdue ships/dinghies etc within PNG territorial waters.