SOS Coverage and What Happens When Triggering an SOS

NOTE: Fees may apply for communication with personal contacts or other third parties during an emergency. See  Charges When Triggering the SOS Feature for more details.

If you encounter an at-risk situation in a remote location or offshore, an inReach® satellite communicator quickly becomes the most valuable tool in your survival kit. It provides global, interactive SOS capabilities — and that means you are able to trigger a distress signal, receive delivery confirmation that help is on the way, and maintain a 2-way text conversation with the Garmin Response™ center. The Garmin Response team is staffed 24/7 to assist with your emergency, track your location, and notify the most appropriate emergency response for your unique situation. Whenever, wherever — we can stay in communication with you until your situation is resolved or until the request is canceled. When needed, press the SOS button. For steps on how to initiate an SOS Rescue, see SOS for inReach Capable Garmin Handhelds.

The Garmin Response team is the world leader in emergency response solutions and monitoring. They have supported rescues in more than 140 countries, saving many lives in the process. 

If you have questions about using an SOS in specific scenarios, or have follow-up questions after having triggered an SOS for any reason, contact the Garmin Response℠ Center.

SOS Coverage Included With an inReach Subscription

When an inReach satellite communication subscription is activated, the SOS coverage is automatically included with the subscription. This provides you with global 24/7 monitoring and emergency dispatch if the SOS is activated on an inReach. This basic coverage does not provide any insurance or cover any costs incurred from an SOS activation. Additional Search And Rescue (SAR) benefits are available to purchase, if desired. For more details on additional SAR benefits, visit - SAR Insurance.

Garmin Response's Call-Handling Process

In the event that the Garmin Response team receives an SOS from a Garmin device, they immediately load the Latitude/Longitude received with the SOS into the mapping software to view the location and determine the agency to contact to coordinate the rescue. A member of the Garmin Response team will also send a message to the device requesting the nature of the emergency. The Garmin Response team immediately begins notifying the rescue agency to inform them of the SOS and provide all known information including Latitude/Longitude, device user information, emergency contact information, etc. The local emergency agency will respond with or without a response from the device. Meanwhile, another member of the Garmin Response team will attempt to reach the device user by phone at the number(s) provided in their inReach account profile, if by chance Garmin Response can reach them and gather more details regarding the emergency. Any messages received from the device during the active SOS will be relayed to the responding agency. 

The Garmin Response center will also call the emergency contacts listed in the profile to inform them of the SOS and request information regarding the device user's whereabouts (itinerary, age, previous medical conditions, number of people in the party, vehicle description, provisions, etc.). Any information that is received will be relayed to the responding agency. Throughout the entire process, the Garmin Response center will continue to send updates to the device (even if the user is unable to respond) and update the emergency contacts until we receive confirmation that the rescue is complete or the user cancels the SOS.  

Furthermore, when SOS is active, device tracking follows these rules:

• For the first 10 minutes, an updated location is sent every minute.

• After the first 10 minutes to conserve battery power, an updated location is sent every 10 minutes.

NOTE: If an SOS is canceled for any reason, the Garmin Response team no longer has the ability to communicate with the device. 

Requesting Information About inReach Users in the Field

Requests regarding an inReach user's location or requests to contact an inReach user in the field must be completed and submitted by a law enforcement agency. For more details on how law enforcement agencies can submit an inquiry, see - Law Enforcement Inquiries Regarding the Life or Safety of Individuals Using inReach Devices.

Our inReach support team will respond to law enforcement's inquiry by looking into the inReach user's location using waypoints, tracks, messages, or device Mail Checks and provide the information requested to law enforcement.

What Happens When You Trigger an SOS?

The following video provides a brief overview of what happens when triggering an SOS. For a more in-depth explanation, see - inReach Webinar - Everything You Need to Know about SOS.

When SOS is active on an inReach device, no messages or tracking data will be sent to the user's MapShare™ page until the SOS event has been resolved and the inReach device is no longer in an SOS state. This allows for the Teams involved in the search and rescue event to focus on completing their mission in a timely manner. After the event has been resolved, red dots may be displayed on the map page of the user's account for track points that were recorded during the SOS event.

What Happens When You Trigger an SOS?

Testing SOS

For peace of mind and preparedness, an SOS test may be scheduled. To learn more and set up a test, visit: https://www.iercc.com/test-device/

IMPORTANT: Do not test the SOS feature without prior approval. If testing the SOS feature without approval, charges may be applied for any rescue efforts.

Charges When Triggering the SOS Feature

As an inReach owner, you may activate/trigger the SOS feature for others around you. You personally will only be financially responsible for fees incurred when triggering an SOS for yourself, or someone for whom you are financially responsible.

Activating the SOS feature on your inReach notifies the Garmin Response center of an emergent situation. Any fees incurred due to aid or rescue are charged to the individual for whom the SOS was triggered for.

Garmin does not charge for any communication, including tracking or text messaging, with the Garmin Response team via the SOS button. All other applicable fees apply when communicating with personal contacts or contacts that the Garmin Response team directs the user to communicate with for further assistance (sheriff, police, SAR, Coast Guard, etc.) during an emergency.