The Coast Guard and National Safe Boating Council are reminding recreational boaters of the importance of Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons in conjunction with 406Mhz Beacon Awareness Day which was Saturday.

An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon is used to alert search and rescue forces in the event of an emergency.

It does this by transmitting a coded message on the 406 megahertz distress frequency via satellite and earth stations to the nearest rescue coordination center, which then notifies local search and rescue forces.

Having a properly registered beacon greatly enhances the speed with which the Coast Guard can respond to any mariners in distress and could mean the difference between life and death during a maritime emergency.

And it can save your life.

In 2018, the Eighth Coast Guard District responded to over 200 distress signals from Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons aboard aircraft and boats.

For more information on Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons visit www.savedbythebeacon.com.