Jennie and “redhawks” recent post
"Confessions of a Near Drowning Victim" has inspired me to post MOB Guidelines. While this MOB post is lengthy, I’m confident some will find it important and worth their time.
MAN OVERBOARD (MOB) also known as
CREW OVERBOARD (COB) - this is an emergency, and should be treated as such.
Following is an abbreviated procedure describing some of the key actions required in a MOB/COB situation. This is a suggested procedure; your individual circumstances may require modification. More information about MOB/COB can be found in
Chapman Piloting and Seamanship , and other boating information and educational programs.
Every skipper, and every crew member or passenger, should mentally formulate a plan to address a MOB when they venture into a new body of water. They should also consider “what if’s”. For example, what if you have fishing lines out in the water, what would you do about them? Practicing this maneuver can be fun, and clearly rewarding. It also gives the Skipper, and the crew, to opportunity to evaluate how one another would react in a real emergency. Also, there may be slightly different tactics used in different types of water, such as a small lake, versus a fast flowing river, versus a wind and wave swept ocean.
Every person on board should be instructed on basic procedures to take in the event of a number of emergencies, including a MOB. The skipper should know who else is capable of operating the boat and its equipment in the event the skipper is incapacitated.
Here are several basic principles for a MOB / COB…
1. The person observing a person going overboard, or notices a crew member missing and presumed MOB…
YELLS… “MAN OVERBOARD”.
2. One person, preferably the one Yelling Man Overboard…(A.)
Points Their Hand At The Person in the water, and continues to point at them, and (B.)
They Do Not Take Their Eyes Off the MOB for even one moment.
3. Get the boat back to the MOB and consider all the factors necessary to make a safe rescue.
4. After rescue, treat for shock, hypothermia, and other life threatening injuries; seek professional medical assistance.
Following is a more detailed description of events that might occur in a MOB / COB:
Assume we have a MOB/COB, and a crew member has yelled “MAN OVERBOARD”, and is continually pointing a watching the MOB.
The Helmsman’s (the person running the boat), first objective is to slow the boat, and get back to the MOB as quickly as possible.
* Upon hearing the MOB, the Helmsman should immediately slow the boat, look to see where the Observer is pointing, and turn boat back to the MOB.
* A bright floating object should be tossed into the water, to mark the approximate location of the MOB (in the event the crew does lose sight of the MOB),
* The Helmsman should activate the MOB feature on the GPS.
* Evaluate when to give the “May Day” call. If you’ve lost sight of the person, the conditions are rough, or it appears rescue will be difficult, a “May Day” call would seem appropriate. If you are not sure whether you should announce a “May Day, and you have the time, give the call. When the person is rescued, be sure to cancel the May Day, and repeat it a couple of minutes apart.
* PFD’s should be worn by all crew members during the rescue.
* Normally, when actually approaching to pick up a MOB, the preferred course is to head into the wind or current, whichever is stronger, in order to not overshoot or miss the MOB, or run over them. It may be best to let the MOB float TO the boat the last few yards (for example, particularly in a river, the boat gets downstream of the MOB, and holds in place, allowing the MOB to drift to the boat.
* Another decision is which side of the boat to pick up the MOB - on one side, the boat may be blown over the MOB, but on the other side, the boat may blown away from the MOB. Do not forget your have a propeller churning away.
* An interesting statement was found in Chapman Piloting & Seamanship - when a boat is traveling at more than one knot (1.15 mph), it is impossible for the person in the water to "hang onto or stay with the boat, even if a line is thrown from the deck". Considering this statement, the Helmsman should evaluate bringing the boat to a stop or dead slow upon reaching the MOB.
* The crew should expect that the MOB is NOT going to be able to assist in the rescue. If the MOB has the strength and presence of mind to help, fine, but do not count on it.
* The MOB should be given some floatation to hold onto, or extended a boat hook for them to grab, and/or get them a line (rope). If the crew can tie a big loop in the end of the line (rope), so much the better. If the MOB can get a PFD on, and/or tie a line (rope) around themselves, that’s great, but do not count on it.
* Once the MOB is secured you can figure out how best to get them aboard. On some boats, it may be easier, and safer, to get a person aboard over the transom. Over the transom has advantages on many boats, and may be a must with a small boat that may tip over trying to pull someone up to and over the gunwale (side of boat). When bringing a person over the side, the Helmsman must decide if they are going to shut off the motor, or leave it running in neutral. When bringing a person over the transom, serious consideration should be given to shutting off the engine to avoid injuring the MOB with the propeller.
* Getting the MOB on board may be difficult. They may be fatigued, injured, their arms and hands numb or weak, they may be in, or going into cold water shock or hypothermia. Bottom line, they may be of little or no help to the rescuers. The MOB has wet clothes which make lifting or dragging them into the boat difficult.
* Once you get the person aboard, treat immediately for shock and hypothermia, and get to medical care ASAP. If in USCG or Law Enforcement patrolled water, they should be notified, and may be able to help in a number of ways, including having an ambulance standing by.
A MOB situation in a serious, life threatening emergency, and even more so in a large body of water like the ocean or Columbia River. First of all, visualize how much of a person would be visible in the water - not very much, probably the head, and if they are wearing a good PFD, maybe part of the shoulders and head. If there are swells and wind waves, even the best observer may lose sight of them momentarily - and that is why it is vital to keeping pointing at them, and do not take your eyes off them.
PRACTICE AND TRAINING:
An axiom of training is that people will, in an emergency, do as they are trained and as they have practiced. The more one trains and practices, the better they will react in an emergency.
Every boat operator should practice finding and recovering an object in the water. While driving the boat, someone should toss a floating device in the water, and then practice getting back there, and safely getting the object back into the boat. Try it in calm water, and then try it in typical ocean or river conditions. Just keep in mind that even in practice things can go wrong, perhaps even to the point of an emergency! “Expect the Unexpected”.
KChookem
Man Overboard (MOB) Guidlelines
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