ABSTRACT
In order to understand the domain of maritime search and rescue (SAR), it is of great importance to also examine the history of sea rescue. In doing so, the specifics of this field become more visible and the changes in its systemic framework over time more comprehensible. The following describes the different roots, reasons, and sources contributing to the institutionalization of maritime SAR organizations. We first take a brief look at the last 200 years to reconstruct the establishment of one of the world’s leading rescue services and set the scene. Following this, deeper insights into some aspects of decision-making in the MSAR context should be possible.
