SAR Times Weekly — May 28, 2026
From chemical releases to river and cave SAR, it was an interesting week... but don't forget about the AI-enhanced SAR Drones!
It was a weird week for SAR News... no lack of cases, but maybe our policy and tech news makers took the week off? At any rate, here are a few cases and interesting bits of SAR news from around the world. As always, be sure to share! Also, if you have a story you'd like pushed to the SAR Times family, drop me a line. ~r
🔴 Cases & Operations
Rescue teams find five in a Laos cave, search continues for two more
After more than a week trapped in a flooded cave in central Laos, five villagers were found alive by Thai and Lao rescue divers. Two others remain missing, and physically extracting the survivors from the rugged, water-filled cave system is the next challenge facing the team.
Washington chemical vat rupture: rescue shifts to recovery
A chemical tank implosion and rupture in Washington state killed at least 11 people after the search for nine missing workers moved from rescue to recovery on Wednesday. Contamination entered the Columbia River after the tank failure.
Philippine building collapse: rescuers race the clock in Angeles City
A nine-story building under construction collapsed in Angeles City, Philippines, killing at least three and leaving 17 unaccounted for. Rescue crews spent more than 24 hours picking through debris by hand, looking for signs of life.
River SAR for missing 10‑year‑old in Hulu Selangor (Malaysia)
The Selangor Fire and Rescue Department is leading a multi‑agency search for a 10‑year‑old boy swept away by currents in Sungai Bernam near Kampung Sungai Nilam. The initial search covered about a 1.6 km radius; as of late morning on 28 May, the search area has been expanded to a 3 km stretch, with fire, police, health services, volunteer brigade, university responders, water rescue teams, and K9 assets deployed using multiple boats.
YASMIN ABDUL LATIF
⚙️ Technology & Innovation
Lincoln Laboratory technology generates flight paths with agentic AI
MIT Lincoln Laboratory described the ASCEND project, an AI‑based mission planner originally conceived specifically for drone‑based search and rescue that can automatically generate compliant flight paths while respecting regional airspace and regulatory constraints.
Kailen Comeau | Technical Communications Group
📋 Policy & Regulatory
IMO MSC 111 closes with a full slate of SAR-relevant decisions
The 111th session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee concluded in London last Friday after ten days of work at 4 Albert Embankment. For maritime SAR administrators and RCC staff, the session produced confirmed decisions across communications, life-saving appliances, autonomous vessel operations, and the long-range identification framework that will shape national implementation obligations for years ahead.
Ryan Erickson
ICAO APAC Regional SAR Plan Monitoring and Reporting Form v1.0
At the Asia/Pacific Search and Rescue Working Group 11 (APSAR/WG/11), ICAO issued Working Paper 06 Rev.2, presenting a “Regional SAR Plan Monitoring and Reporting Form v1.0”, with a noted status as of 16 April 2026 that 23 Administrations had already submitted the annual Regional SAR Plan Monitoring and Reporting Form via Microsoft Forms.
