Cruise employee on what happens to a ‘man overboard’

While it may be surprising given all the safety measures aboard modern ships, there are still instances of passengers falling overboard on cruise ships, ferries, and even cargo ships. Investigate through Emma Cruises discovered that on average about 25 people lose weight cruising ships per year. The cruise ship employee behind the YouTube channel Casual navigation shared with his audience of 496,000 followers a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when a “man overboard” situation occurs on his ship.

“The priority is always to get the victim back, but that’s easier said than done,” the cruise employee explains.

“Before you even consider a rescue, you should know that a person has fallen overboard.

“Some ships have sensors, but normally the fastest way is if a witness sees or hears them.”

Most cruise ships will provide a safety briefing at the beginning of the trip, explaining to passengers what to do in certain emergency situations. The Youtuber said: “You get the textbook response: throw a life ring, keep pointing at the person in the water, call man overboard and have someone call the ship’s bridge.

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“If you’re on my ship. I don’t care what it takes. Take a life preserver right in the water. But if you can’t find one, throw all you can shout man overboard and if there’s any left someone is , let them call the bridge.

“Otherwise, if you’re alone, call the ship’s emergency number or even activate a manual 911 call center. Just do whatever it takes to get the crew’s attention.”

However, the cruise employee says it’s important not to look away from the fallen person, as this could mean losing him or her for good.

“Ideally, point to the person in the water and don’t take your eyes off them,” he explained.

“It’s easy to stay focused as they move further away, but once you take your eyes off you, you have trouble finding them again.”

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While these instructions are good in theory, the reality is bleak, especially when you consider the speed at which ships move and the reality that many people fall overboard when no witnesses are around.

“Let’s be realistic about this,” the cruise ship employee said.

“A slow cruise ship will go 10 knots – that’s five meters per second in one minute, that’s 300 meters and in five minutes it’s a mile.

“If the message doesn’t get to the bridge soon, no pointing will save them.”

But this is where life rings come in, and they serve a much greater purpose than simply serving as a flotation device.

Casual Navigation said: “As soon as the bridge becomes aware, the officer on duty will take three immediate actions which will record the position, release the lifebuoy and blow the whistle.

“Releasing a rescue ring not only gives the victim something to grab, but it also has a smoke signal attached to it that helps clear the smoke for at least 15 minutes underneath.

As the ring floats, it is subject to the same set and drift as the person in the water, making it an ideal starting point for a possible search. As for the whistle, the signal for a man overboard is three sustained blasts that correspond to the Morse code Oscar.”

This alarm is heard by nearby ships, calling all officers to the bridge and providing a “vital morale boost” to the person who has fallen.

The cruise employee explained that most man-overboard situations quickly turn into “missing persons cases” rather than just a “rescue mission,” due to the speed at which a ship travels.

In many cases, this is the point where the ship will perform a maneuver called a “hard over” where the ship’s bow will swing in the opposite direction, eventually allowing the ship to follow its path.

“Ideally, you just see the victim and get them back on board using the ship’s lifeboat, but it’s rarely that simple,” the cruise employee said. “Most of the time you’ll have to search before you can save.”