If a report doesn’t arrive, the RNLI will attempt to contact the boat, investigate whether it is, in fact, at sea and then pass the vessel's details to the coastguard to enable search and rescue (SAR) agencies, including RNLI volunteer crewed lifeboats, to respond quickly.

Fishing crew can also wear Personal Safety Devices (PSDs) If a fisherman falls overboard, the PSD is immersed in water, which breaks radio contact between it and the base unit. This activates an audio alert on the vessel and a MOB alert is automatically sent via satellite to the RNLI who then transmits this to the coastguard.