ABSTRACT: One of the most important issues related to the success of SAR (Search and Rescue) action at sea is prediction of the datum – the most probable position of the search object, dependent on its drift - movement caused by wind and water current. The paper presents an empirical model of search object drift, based on laboratory tests, intended for implementation in a decision support system dedicated to SAR services. Verification of the model was carried out in real sea environment conditions during the international maritime SAR exercises carried out in the Southern Baltic Sea. The main objective of the exercises was determination of the datum of selected life rafts. The results of sea trials compared to the positions determined using different DSSs (decision support systems), used by SAR services, showed significant differences between them. The models of the surface water current and leeway of search objects, presented in the paper, allowed to determine the reference positions of life rafts closest to the positions observed during the sea exercises. The presented empirical model allowed to predict much smaller search area than the area determined based on the IAMSAR Manual (International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual) recommendations. The major conclusion from the presented research for the Southern Baltic is the need to take into account the local conditions of the semi-enclosed sea and standardize the methods used by cooperating national SAR services.

KEYWORDS: Safety of Navigation, Maritime Safety, Marine Environment, Methods and Algorithms, Decision Support Systems, Search and Rescue, Drift Prediction Accuracy, Hydrometeorological Aspects

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