Man Overboard

Unfortunately, boaters fall overboard more than the general public wishes to think about. In 2006, the United States Coast Guard reported that 275 individuals died in 721 boating accidents that began with or involved a fall overboard.

Before we discuss what to do once someone has fallen overboard, lets talk about how this dangerous situation can be avoided. First of all, the captain should always keep a running head-count of crew members and guests.

Equally as important, when it comes to boating safety; the best solution is prevention – don’t fall overboard! If you are the captain or the one responsible for the vessel and its occupants, make it clear that there will be no sitting on the gunwale and that no one is allowed to hang their feet or legs over the side while the boat is running. Also, be sure to keep the deck clear of any obstructions or items that passengers may trip over. Most importantly, wear a life jacket! A life jacket is like a seatbelt – if you don’t wear it, it cannot help you!

Maintain a DR

Let’s say there are no witnesses of the victim falling off the boat. How are you going to locate the missing party? Do you maintain a DR course line on your chart plotter? Don’t know what a DR course line is? It’s a dead reckoning assumed position line based on speed and direction from a known or estimated point. Sound confusing? May I suggest a safe boating course? Because many boaters don’t keep a DR course and are just out boating with no real destination, then there’s a good chance they have no idea precisely where they just were.

What To Do If Someone Falls Overboard

If someone on your boat falls overboard and you were fortunate enough to have witnessed the event, here are the procedures (these procedures assume that the person in the water is not injured and you have at least two crewmen on board). There are also many acceptable variations on these procedures depending on the equipment you maintain on your vessel.

1. The person who shouts “Man Overboard” has one job and only one job for the entire duration of the rescue – to keep their eyes on the person in the water and to always point in that direction. Let’s call them “The Pointer.”
2. The person at the wheel, the helmsman, should immediately push (assuming you have a GPS with this function) the MOB button. This will place a marker on your screen so you have an approximate position of where you were when the discovery was made.
3. As the boat and the person in the water move, The Pointer is to be given clear berth. In other words, stay out of the way.
4. Immediately start throwing floatable objects off the stern. This will give you an idea of which direction the person in the water will drift, and also a general idea as to what direction you were headed in prior to turning the vessel around.
5. Slowly turn the boat in the direction of the pointer’s hand and proceed to the person in the water.
6. All other deckhands should be readying the life preserver, horseshoe buoy or life-sling and assisting The Pointer in maintaining visual contact with the person in the water.

If you loose sight of the person, immediately announce a PAN-PAN on VHF channel 16. This will notify the Coast Guard, as well as all other boaters in the area, that there is an emergency. Record your GPS coordinates, remain in the vicinity, and continue the search process.

When you finally approach the person in the water, make sure your vessel is downwind. This way the current and wind will push the victim towards your boat.

Kill your engine(s) so the person in the water does not get injured by the props.

Retrieve your victim from the lowest point of the vessel and remember that they may be suffering hypothermia, confusion, loss of energy and possibly unconsciousness. Seek medical attention if necessary.

Practice and Education

Man overboard procedures require practice and education. The U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary are happy to provide educational resources to show you the way. It’s up to the boating public to take the next step.