How to call the Coastguard in the UK: 999, 112 or VHF 16
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There’s no separate “Coastguard number” for emergencies. On the phone you call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard; with a radio, you send a DSC distress alert and a MAYDAY on channel 16. The phone numbers of the Coastguard centres are for office enquiries only. Here is each route, in HM Coastguard’s and the RNLI’s own words.
Life in danger: 999 or 112, ask for the Coastguard
If you’re in an emergency on the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard. In an emergency at sea send a Mayday distress alert on Channel 16, or call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
GOV.UK, HM Coastguard rescue coordination centre contact details · gov.uk
The RNLI gives the same advice, “call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard”, and adds that you should try even if your phone shows no service: “in an emergency your phone will be able to use another phone network.” Call rather than text, and say where you are in words and coordinates. Lifeboats are tasked by HM Coastguard, so asking for the Coastguard is also how a lifeboat gets launched.
- “Coastguard, please. I am at sea.”
- “I’m [place in words, e.g. two miles south of the Needles].”
- “My position is [latitude and longitude, read slowly].”
- “[Number] people on board. [What happened]. Lifejackets [on / not on].”
- “The boat is a [length] metre [type], [colour], called [name].”
- Stay on the line and answer the Coastguard’s questions.
VesselSOS dials 999 when you tap “Yes, a life is in danger” in UK waters and shows this script filled in, with your position in words.
With a radio: DSC, then MAYDAY on channel 16
If your VHF has DSC, lift the cover and hold the red distress button until the alert goes out (on channel 70), then make your MAYDAY call on channel 16 at high power. If nobody’s life is in immediate danger, a PAN-PAN on channel 16 is the right call instead. Word for word: how to make a MAYDAY call.
The MCA’s best-practice advice is to carry two independent ways of calling for help using maritime radio, because a phone loses signal a few miles out. Radio equipment on a UK boat must be licensed and used by a certified operator (the rules).
The HM Coastguard centres
HM Coastguard is part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). It coordinates all maritime search and rescue in the UK from these centres. Whichever one is responsible for your waters, the way to reach it in an emergency is the same: 999, 112 or VHF 16.
| Centre | Where | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | Aberdeen | Scotland |
| Shetland | Lerwick | Scotland |
| Stornoway | Isle of Lewis | Scotland |
| Milford Haven | Hakin, Pembrokeshire | Wales |
| Holyhead | Anglesey | Wales |
| Belfast | Bangor, Co Down | Northern Ireland |
| Humber | Bridlington | North east England |
| Falmouth | Falmouth | South west England |
| Dover | Dover | South east England |
| Joint Rescue Coordination Centre | Fareham, Hampshire | National coordination |
| London Maritime Rescue Sub Centre | Woolwich | London (the Thames) |
The old Solent centre closed in 2014 and its work moved to the national centre in Fareham; “Solent Coastguard” lives on as the radio name for the Coastguard’s safety broadcasts on the central south coast. In the app, the SOS screen shows the centre for your position from its own list, which still says Solent rather than Fareham and doesn’t yet list London. Either way, the call goes to 999.
Lakes and rivers
Inland, call 999 or 112 too. The RNLI’s advice for someone in difficulty on a lake or a non-tidal river is to ask for Fire and Rescue; on the coast and the tidal Thames, ask for the Coastguard.
Before you go: tell someone
Since RYA SafeTrx closed on 31 December 2025, there’s no official scheme that watches for you. HM Coastguard’s advice is to “tell someone at home where you are going and when you expect to get back. If you are late returning, they can raise the alarm by calling 999 and asking for the Coastguard.” What changed with SafeTrx.
Gibraltar
In British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, search and rescue is coordinated by the Gibraltar Port Authority’s VTS, not by HM Coastguard. Its SAR plan lists the emergency line +350 200 61743 (24 hours) and VHF channels 12 and 16. Ashore, Gibraltar’s emergency number is 999. In Gibraltar waters the app shows Gibraltar VTS and its number.
VesselSOS in UK waters
- Life in danger? Tap “Yes, a life is in danger” and the app dials 999. The screen shows your GPS position in words, the HM Coastguard area you’re in, and a word-for-word script; when the operator answers, say “Coastguard, I am at sea”.
- Radio mode shows a VHF channel 16 MAYDAY text filled with your boat’s name, call sign in the NATO alphabet, MMSI and position, for you to read on your own radio. Sailing abroad, the app picks the responsible rescue centre by position in 118 countries (Europe, North and Central America, the Caribbean, Asia, the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and Africa).
- A live link for the people ashore (part of Pro, with a 14-day free trial): your position, speed, course and phone battery in any browser, no app needed on their side. You send it by text yourself.
- Not an emergency? Tap “No” and 999 stays free. The app doesn’t list a UK breakdown service, so save your own provider’s number in your phone before you go.
What it doesn’t do: it isn’t connected to 999, HM Coastguard or the RNLI, and it doesn’t file a passage plan with anyone. If you set a return time and don’t answer its “Are you OK?”, it texts your own Emergency and Live contacts with the live link; it never alerts the Coastguard, so your contacts decide whether to call 999. A phone doesn’t replace a VHF radio with DSC, a PLB or EPIRB, or a lifejacket.
iPhone only, in invite-only TestFlight beta. Not in the App Store yet, no Android.
Quick answers
What is the Coastguard’s emergency number?
There isn’t a separate one. Call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard, or use VHF channel 16 (after a DSC alert if your radio has it). The Coastguard centres’ 0344 numbers are for office enquiries.
Does 112 work in the UK?
Yes. 112 works like 999, and both are free. The RNLI’s advice is “call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard”.
Should I call the RNLI directly?
No. The RNLI is tasked by HM Coastguard, so call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard: that’s how a lifeboat gets launched.
Can I text 999?
Only if you’re deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired and have registered your phone for the emergencySMS service first. Otherwise, call.
What about Gibraltar?
In Gibraltar waters, call Gibraltar VTS on VHF 12 or 16 or +350 200 61743 (24 hours). Ashore the emergency number is 999.
Sources
- GOV.UK — HM Coastguard rescue coordination centre contact details
- GOV.UK — RYA SafeTrx closing: how to prepare and stay safe at sea (Dec 2025)
- MCA — MGN 599 (M) Amendment 1, pleasure vessels
- RNLI — how to stay safe when you go afloat
- RNLI — Respect the Water
- Relay UK — emergencySMS
- Gibraltar Port Authority — Simplified SAR Plan (Feb 2024)
Checked October 2026. Rules change — confirm with the MCA, HM Coastguard or your harbour authority before you go.
This page summarises official guidance for planning; it isn’t legal advice. Where this page and the official text differ, the official text wins. Spotted an error? Email support@vesselsos.com.