What does EPIRB stand for, and what is its basic function in a survival situation?

A. A handheld torch used only for close-range signalling to nearby vessels

B. A backup liferaft repair kit component unrelated to communication

C. A type of personal flotation device with no signalling capability at all

D. Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon — once activated (manually or automatically by water immersion), it transmits a distress signal with the vessel's identity and position via satellite to search and rescue authorities, continuing to transmit for an extended period to aid location

A. A PLB is only used for testing equipment ashore, never carried during an actual emergency

B. An EPIRB is typically registered to the vessel and often mounted/stowed for the whole crew, while a PLB is a smaller, individually registered device that a single person can carry on their body — useful if separated from the main group or liferaft

C. EPIRBs and PLBs are functionally and legally identical, with the only difference being colour

D. A PLB has no satellite connectivity and only works at very short range

A. A SART and an EPIRB perform exactly the same function and either one alone is fully sufficient

B. A SART transmits a continuous distress signal via satellite, identical to an EPIRB

C. A SART is only effective in daylight and provides no benefit at night

D. A SART responds to radar interrogation from a searching vessel or aircraft by producing a distinctive pattern on their radar display, helping them home in precisely on the survival craft's position at close range — it complements rather than replaces the EPIRB, which provides the initial wide-area distress alert