Life-threatening emergencies at sea
Marine Emergency Services
One number, then one radio channel. Nothing else comes first.
New Zealand's maritime emergency response is coordinated through the Rescue Coordination Centre operated by Maritime New Zealand, working with Police, Coastguard, and rescue helicopter services. For a life-threatening emergency on the water, the escalation is 111 or a MAYDAY on VHF Channel 16 — the closest capable asset is tasked, whether that is a helicopter, a Coastguard vessel or a commercial boat nearby.
What's included
- 111 emergency escalation, ask for Police and say you are on the water.
- MAYDAY on VHF Channel 16, monitored 24/7.
- Distress beacon (406MHz EPIRB) detection where the vessel carries one.
- Your live check-in position, shared with the captain, crew and your nominated emergency contact for the trip window.
How to use it
- Call 111, ask for Police, and say clearly that you are on the water.
- If you have VHF, broadcast MAYDAY on Channel 16 — say MAYDAY three times, then vessel name, position, people aboard and the nature of the emergency.
- Activate the EPIRB if the vessel carries one and you are in grave and imminent danger.
- Do not end your BoardMyBoat check-in — the position trail is what lets responders and your emergency contact see where you were last.
Terms
- Emergency services are public services
- 111, the Rescue Coordination Centre and Police maritime response are public emergency services. BoardMyBoat does not operate them, cannot task them, and holds no commercial arrangement with them. Nothing on this page changes how you reach them.
- What we hold, and for how long
- While a check-in is live we hold your position trail, vessel, party size and emergency contact so the captain, crew and that contact can see you are safe. The tracking link expires with the check-in window and stops updating the moment you check out.
- False alarms
- A genuine mistake is always better than silence — cancel by the same channel you raised the alarm on. Deliberately false distress calls are an offence under New Zealand maritime law.
Escalation guidance summarised from Maritime New Zealand and Coastguard public safety information. BoardMyBoat is not an emergency service.