Scan If Found

Every week, the Coast Guard, state agencies, and other first responders are forced to launch search and rescue missions that don’t need to happen, and it hurts their ability to save lives.

When a paddle, canoe, kayak, raft, or SUP is found adrift, first responders leap into action and begin searching for the owner. Sometimes, there’s a person in the water who receives the help they need, but the vast majority of the time, it’s a simple case of lost gear. Either way, first responder helicopters, airplanes, and boats head out to search.

ACA has partnered with HOST Hawaii and the U.S. Coast Guard to create the “Scan If Found” sticker program. If a watercraft is found drifting, these stickers help first responders identify the owner of watercraft and verify that the owner is safe.

The stickers also help people return lost gear to one another through an anonymous messaging system, which helps owners ID their equipment. No account is needed to use this program, just scan a sticker and you’re connected.