More than fifty (50) participants, including staff of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), fishermen, and Residents from fishing communities across Montserrado, Margibi, Maryland and Grand Bassa Counties, on Thursday, February 12, 2026, received technical training in search and rescue provided by a delegation from the United Kingdom’s Maritime Search and Rescue Council (MSARC).
The search and rescue training took place at the Liberia Maritime Training Institute in Marshall City, Margibi County.
The four-member MSARC team, led by its Chairperson, Captain Matthew Schanck, trained participants on critical lifesaving skills, including survival techniques while in water, methods for keeping rescued victims alive after recovery, and approaches to assisting and calming families and relatives during emergencies. The training forms part of efforts to strengthen safety at sea and reduce drowning incidents among fishing communities.
The UK Maritime Search and Rescue Council was brought to Liberia through the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), the official development and humanitarian agency of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales and a member of the global Caritas Network. MSARC is an international professional body dedicated to promoting search and rescue training, research, and operational expertise worldwide. In Liberia, the team is conducting a Training of Trainers (ToT) program focused on operational-level Search and Rescue (SAR) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
CAFOD, which has worked in Liberia since the 1990s, partners with more than 500 local organizations across 40 countries. Since 2020, the agency has been actively supporting Liberia’s fisheries sector by providing technical training, safety gear, navigational equipment, and solar-powered freezers for fish preservation. The current collaboration with MSARC is part of CAFOD’s broader strategy to strengthen its Safety at Sea program through advanced technical support, including operational SAR training, lifesaving medical skills, and strategic engagement with government institutions to ensure long-term sustainability.
Speaking at the training, the Country Manager of CAFOD for Liberia and Sierra Leone, Mr. Michael Mondengele, urged participants to apply the knowledge gained to help reduce drowning incidents nationwide. He encouraged them to serve as ambassadors in their respective fishing communities by sharing lifesaving information and promoting safe practices at sea.
As part of the program, MSARC also conducted practical search and rescue demonstrations at the swimming pool of the Liberia Maritime Training Institute in Marshall City, Margibi County, providing participants with hands-on experience to complement the theoretical sessions.