What percent of Coast Guard SAR cases occur within 20 nautical miles of shore?

• A. 5%
• B. 25%
• C. 75%
• D. 95%

Answer: (D)

Most Coast Guard SAR activity is concentrated close to shore, with about 95 percent of cases occurring within 20 nautical miles. This happens because coastal waters have the highest density of boats, people, and everyday activities, so distress events happen more often and are detected quickly by nearby observers and by coastal communications networks. The rapid availability of nearby resources—boats, cutters, and aircraft based along the coast—facilitates swift response, which keeps the incidents within that near-shore band. Offshore events do occur, but they are far less common and require broader, longer searches. So the 95-percent figure reflects that near-shore area handles the vast majority of SAR cases.