What should a station do if it acknowledges a distress message?

When a station acknowledges a distress message, establishing a continuous watch is a critical response. This means that the station must monitor the distress frequency actively to ensure that it can receive further communications from the vessel or aircraft in distress or from other stations offering assistance. A continuous watch ensures that no critical information is missed during the emergency situation and demonstrates a commitment to providing the necessary help as quickly as possible.

While providing assistance immediately seems intuitive, that action may not always be feasible simultaneously with maintaining communication. Requesting the distress signal to repeat may delay assistance and could miss important updates or specific instructions from the distressed entity. Redirecting traffic to another frequency might disrupt essential communication regarding the distress situation. Therefore, keeping a continuous watch is the most effective method of ensuring timely and efficient communication and assistance in the emergency.