Coast Guard Day honours the courageous work of coast guards. When Hurricane Katrina struck the Atlantic coast of America, the US Coast Guardsmen saved over 33,500 lives, an estimated 24,000 of these were rescued from peril in severely dangerous conditions.

In America, there are thousands of events nation-wide for you to get involved in and show your support. In the UK, although not directly associated with HM Coast Guard, the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) are a charity organisation with the sole aim of rescuing those in distress at sea. They launch over 6500 times a year, and have saved over 134,000 lives since their founding.

Pakistan Coast Guard Day is celebrated on September 8.