EPIRB
Also written: PLB, 406 MHz beacon
Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon: a distress beacon that sends a vessel's identity and position to rescue centres by satellite.
An EPIRB transmits on 406 MHz to the international Cospas-Sarsat satellite system, which relays the alert and a position to the responsible rescue centre. Many float free and activate automatically when a vessel sinks. Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) do the same for a single person.
Warnings mention an EPIRB when a beacon alert is the starting point of a search, or when a beacon has been found adrift and needs to be recovered or identified.
What the archive shows
10 messages in this archive use “EPIRB”, the earliest issued 1999-04-19 and the latest 2025-02-21. None of them is in force in the latest lists we collected. A hazard reported again and again counts once per message.
Spills accounts for 4 of 10 recorded messages (40%), the largest warning type group in this selection.
Located messages that use it fall in 7 sea areas; the most frequent are North Atlantic Ocean (2), Persian Gulf (2) and North Pacific Ocean (1).
By warning series: HYDROPAC 4, NOAAORR 4, HYDROLANT 1 and NAVAREA XII 1.
Messages using it, by year of issue
Where it appears · 7 sea areas
How it reads in recent messages
- NOAAORR-10924 · Spills · The Coastal Waters of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia2025-02-21
…a vessel that capsized in Clarence Strait, near Thorne Bay, Alaska. USCG received an EPIRB signal at 18:30 on 2/202/2025. USCG requested observations of weather, waves, and…
Thorne bay, ak, USA → - HYDROPAC 2851/22 · Surveys · Persian Gulf2022-10-12
…GULF. U.A.E. DNC 10. UNDERWATER OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY BARGE PLB-648 ALONG TRACKLINES JOINING: A. 24-23.06N 053-22.98E, 24-23.69N 053-21.97E. B.…
Underwater operations in progress until further notice by barge PLB-648 along tracklines joining: a.… → - NOAAORR-10103 · Spills · North Atlantic Ocean2020-06-17
…Survival suits had been donned, the life raft was made ready alongside the F/V, and the EPIRB was activated (alert/position received by D1). Sector SENE and First District DRAT…
F/V rebecca mary; 40 miles south of nantucket → - HYDROPAC 289/15 · Cable ops · Persian Gulf2015-01-27
…ARAB EMIRATES. DNC 10. PIPELINE OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY BARGE PLB-648 IN 25-34.09N 055-21.69E. TWO MILE BERTH REQUESTED.
Pipeline operations in progress until further notice by barge PLB-648 in 25-34.09N 055-21.69E → - NAVAREA XII 239/12 · Incidents · North Pacific Ocean2012-09-05
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC. 1. EPIRB OVERBOARD IN 39-34.4N 151-52.3W. NO DISTRESS EXISTS. 2. CANCEL THIS MSG 081115Z SEP 12.
EPIRB overboard in 39-34.4N 151-52.3W → - NOAAORR-7674 · Spills · Philippine Sea2007-07-11
…Guam. 1. Vessel sank during Typhoon 04W (Man-yi). SAR effort was initiated by CG after EPIRB signal received. An oil slick was found with no vessel. NOAA SSC, Ruth Yender, was asked…
M/V hai tong #7 ; 375 miles nw of guam → - HYDROPAC 751/07 · Other2007-04-24
PIPE TRENCHING OPERATIONS IN PROGRESS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE BY M/V PLB 648 AND M/V CCC PIONEER IN AREA BETWEEN 26-44N 26-20N AND 051-40E 052-07E. WIDE BERTH…
Pipe trenching operations in progress until further notice by M/V plb 648 and M/V ccc pioneer in area… → - NOAAORR-1063 · Spills · North Atlantic Ocean2003-05-14
Found EPIRB; Offshore Cape Hatteras, NC. Offshore Cape Hatteras, NC. 1. USCG finds EPIRB registered…
Offshore cape hatteras, nc →
Earliest in the archive
- HYDROLANT 766/99 · Incidents · South Atlantic Ocean1999-04-18
EPIRB ALERT SIGNAL DETECTED FROM S/V MAGNUM BONUM, TWO PERSONS ONBOARD, VICINITY 32-38.03S…
EPIRB alert signal detected from S/V magnum bonum, two persons onboard, vicinity 32-38.03S 052-02.03W →
Often in the same message
Related terms
- Distress signal received
- A rescue centre has received an alert — from a beacon, a radio call or a satellite terminal — and is asking ships to look.
- DSC (Digital Selective Calling)
- The digital radio alert built into modern marine radios — one button sends a distress alert with the vessel's identity and position.
- GMDSS
- The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System: the internationally agreed set of radio services ships use for distress alerting and safety broadcasts.
Warning types that use it
- Incidents — Search-and-rescue broadcasts, published only once a case has been closed for 30 days: groundings, sinkings, capsizes, fires, man overboard, overdue vessels. Nothing here is live.
Counts cover the messages in this archive that use the term, recounted 2026-09-24; see coverage for what is collected and since when. Not for navigation — follow official NAVAREA and coastal broadcasts.