Many sailors buy and install an Iridium GO or other Sat phone capabilities before they head off on a big Ocean Crossing like the Indian Ocean or the Pacific Ocean. They put great effort in to setting up email so they can stay in touch with their friends and family back home. They learn how to use Predictwind to get their weather. All important stuff.
They may even give their satellite phone number to their family in case of a family emergency.
But what about programming the phone numbers in to your satellite phone for if YOU have an emergency!?! Would you have any idea on who to call if YOU had an emergency. If you called the one number in your phone, would THEY have any idea on what to do in an emergency, ecspecially if they aren’t even sure where “Chagos” is?
The prudent sailor should not only get a list of any and all emergency numbers in area they may sail through or to, but even ones to which they could accidentally drift to if all is lost. They should program these numbers in to their phones in an easy to find format. They should most importantly make sure every single one works! Contact numbers change frequently!
if you put NO other number in to your Iridium GO Contacts, you should know that pushing the SOS button on the GO or in the application will contact GEOS safety Solutions. They will know who to call! So if a number on this list doesn’t get you right there…push that Button! It’s not an EPIRB…please still carry an EPIRB for when the sh** really hits the fan. But this button is great for medical problems, and other issues.
I have compiled a list below of EMERGENCY CONTACTS for the INDIAN OCEAN. These were compiled in January 2018 with updates for StiLanka February 2019. Many of them have been verified, but not all of them. If you find discrepancies, please report them to me and I will change this file and notify all who have downloaded it.
(Disclaimer- This list current as of January 2018. All numbers should be checked before heading to sea, and then programmed in to sat phone before departure)
Here is the file:
Emergency contacts Indian Ocean Feb 2019
Thank you so much Rebecca for organising this extremely useful information for us.
You are welcome! Please use with cautions…test out contacts before heading off to sea, and send me any updates you can to try to keep the list current. Stay safe out there!
This is some really good information about satellite phones. It is good to know that it would be smart to look for a phone that you can have numbers programmed into it. That does seem like it would be really useful when you want to have an easy time calling important people in an emergency.