Development of the underwater search supporting technique using the high-resolution imaging sonar

When marine disasters occur, it is sometimes necessary for search and rescue dive teams to begin rescue and recovery efforts, even before a complete assessment of the underwater safety situation can be conducted. This makes the job of the Coast Guard personnel in charge of these types of operations very risky. In order to alleviate this type of risk and to be able to operate safely in affected areas, it is desirable for the divers to have as much prior knowledge of the physical and spatial aspects of the area as possible. Furthermore, being able to present this information rapidly in a visual manner is critical for the divers in order to able to clearly understand and quickly interpret the information being presented. This paper will discuss a newly developed optimized search and diver support technique, which utilizes high-resolution forward-looking sonar to allow Coast Guard personnel to improve the accuracy of the search operation, while also increasing the efficiency and safety factors involved in these types of operations.