How Coast Guard measures 'Search and Rescue' performance

Since 2000, the Coast Guard has used data about lives saved and lost during rescue missions to determine its performance benchmark. The chart below shows the number of lives saved and the sum of lives lost and unaccounted for. The formula for determining the SAR System Performance Benchmark and the benchmark scores are shown in the box to the right. The Coast Guard makes it clear that no loss of life is desirable, but uses this equation in the evaluation of the effectiveness of their rescue efforts.

Performance Benchmark

Lives Saved / Lives Saved + (Lives Lost + Lives Unaccounted For)

Percent of lives saved from imminent danger in the maritime environment:

Notes on data

2000 - Egypt Air (217) & Alaska Air (88) crashes included in Lives Lost Before (total 305)
2001 – 173 Lives Unaccounted For from two large AMIO incidents
2002 – 439 lives in 7 large incidents included in Lives Saved; 105 lives in 3 large incidents included in Lives Unaccounted For
2003 – 439 lives in 8 large incidents included in Lives Saved
2005 – Does NOT include the 33,544 Lives Saved during Hurricane Katrina or the 138 during Hurricane Rita