Man Overboard!!

[Pilar]

You hear and your fishin buddy is bobbing behind the boat.

[img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] What do you do?? [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

Here's what I would do, feel free to correct or add on. This is something that can happen at any time, anyplace. In the Ocean, the cold water can knock you out quick. Thinking on your feet is a risky business so it pays to have some things figured out before they happen.

1) Let everyone on the boat know and one person watches the fisher in the water at all times.
2) Shut down the motor.
3) Find the throwable and get it to the fisher in the water.
4) Call it in to the Coast Guard on VHF Ch. 16.
5) When you are sure the victim is clear of the engine, drive the boat and attempt to pull them out of the water.
6) Start first aid for Hypothermia.
7) Inform the Coast Guard that the swimmer is in the boat.
8) Head for the beach to dry and warm the swimmer.

Did I forget anything? This may not seem like such a big deal but it can be. The Ocean temperature hovers around 50 degrees and most rivers are colder than that. That can knock you out in 5 minutes. Most people do not wear life jackets.

Quick thinking saves lives....

[ 04-24-2001: Message edited by: Pilar ]

[parker]

Keep fishing. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Bait O' Eggs]

I have to admit I have never really thought this thru. Didnt really ever plan on losing any riders. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] I think you are right on with the idea to get people to think about it.

With my pump I would not be to worried about shutting down the motor like I would be with another boat with a prop eating a leg or some other dangling body part. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

I would probably be more concerned with getting back to them before I got around to calling the coast guard. With only minutes available I would try to do the immediate rescue before I brought in major help. I might be sorry about that in 10 minutes when I still didnt have them in the boat and couldnt find them, the coasties would be 10 minutes farther away. I guess that would have to be determined when and where the person went overboard. I cannot imagine to many places I could not get back to the person in less than a minute.

The last thing on the list which needing added is "inform the wet victim of your choice of beverages, and how many years this story will be around" [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[fish forever]

the other thing to watch is the wind and current. especially in a larger boat if you approach from upwind/upstream - you can run the person over or put them under your boat.

[Tinman]

Your procedure is good Pilar, especially the part about assigning one person to keep the swimmer in sight at all times. I usually have only one companion on my 15 footer, so if he goes overboard, it's up to me alone to get him back. In low-light conditions (sunrise or sunset), I would immediately throw some floating objects overboard to help mark the spot...probably my hat and the cushion I sit on. Marking the spot is all the more important if the swimmer is going down and not always visible. I might even have the presence of mind to punch the "Man Overboard" button on the GPS to set a waypoint. The swimmer would use the cavitation plate on the outboard as a boarding step, so I would want the motor off and in neutral, lest his foot slip and twist the prop, possibly bump-starting the motor. Good topic...though it makes my blood run cold.

[Pilar]

Great responses. I agree about the GPS waypoint. It is of limited use however except as a place to start SAR efforts. The Ocean is dynamic with winds and currents, nothing stays where you left it. I'd say put all of your efforts into not chopping the guy up with the prop, calling for help and getting them back in the boat right quick.

If you are worried about where they dissapeared you probably have to worry about next of kin too......

Wear the damn PFD!

[ 04-24-2001: Message edited by: Pilar ]

[smilesforu]

I have personally had the experience of being man over board twice!!. Not wearing my life preserver or a floation style jacket had me swimming in hip boots!! First was a was a warm day on the saltwater and the second was in a river boat sinking in the winter/spring. Pfd would have worked good in the salt but the river wash was more of a hypothermia concern even though it was a beautiful day. Took three hours to row out after the spill....not much in the way of help on a lonely stream. Good advise on how to get back in the boat on a small craft. Using the motor and a step ladder works great. Otherwise your buddy needs to be able to haul your big butt over the side.

Gotta run good topic

[Phunybonz]

When you do find the individual, be sure you have a life jacket on before the rescue attempt. The victim will do most anything to get back in the boat, even if it means pulling you in. If you have to go in after the victim, be prepared to knock them out. They are going to be in PANIC mode and will pull you under. It is best to get behind them with your arm under thier and relax till the boat is in position for reboarding. What I don't know is the hypothermia part. Get her wet clothes off? Gotta go ask the neibor if she wants to go fishin.....

[boater]

WEAR A LIFE JACKET AND CARRY A THROW BAG OF FLOATING ROPE.

[Snagly]

In cold water, don't leave home without a dry bag (costs about $20 in a large size) with heavy clothes in a size equal to the largest passenger. I took a "self-dunking"* in Alaska two weeks ago in 39F water, and the contents of the dry bag enabled me to keep fishing (cold, but fishing!) for the last three hours of the day.

*Definition of "Self-dunking": voluntarily got self soaking wet trying to untangle my line snagged on a sunken tree root in 3' of water in tailout while a 36"+ played out buck twisted in current 8' downstream. Result: right arm wet to shoulder and beyond, river water forced into waders past two wading belts, filling right boot to almost knee level, broken line and lost fish.

A quick wade back to the boat, a strip mostly to the bone and the change of clothes from the dry bag, and I was back in business . . . with a wet right foot and leg (knee down) and a wet right arm, but otherwise dry.

[DF]

I like all the ideas... But the thing I do. Is Wear My PFD AT ALL TIMES ! ! I am never on the boat without it !

[ol tuna skipper]

Yo Pilar, how could you forget the bag O floating rope. Number one item when rafting. After the PFD that is. With the variety of PFD's available from floating jackets, self inflatables and other comfortable to where items, there is no reason to not wear a PFD. Also before launching check your required gear such as the throwable floatation device. Don't bury it in the boat keep it out. Also a boat pole with the plastic hook is tremendous help when retrieving things from the water. Fortunately I have only had to retreive lost hats and garbage that blew out. Kepp it safe and keep aware. Two weeks ago two guys went in at bonneville and the coast guard was having motor trouble. The radioed for all boaters in the vacinity to assist. Other boaters had already rescued them by the time the coasties arrived to take the report.

Last year a fellow I work with pulled one of two people out of the columbia. He had his eye on the one he was helping, lost sight of the other and never found him. They had capsized from a wake off a barge.

Lets all look out for each other out there. Even if there are a few beginners around, I consider it a responsibility to watch out for others.

Last month a boat 200 yards from me didn't notice he was to close to the channel nor did he hear the sixth wistle (probably had the radio playing). When a ship snuck up on him.(he didn't see it or hear it). I woke him up to his predicament but he didn't have time to react. I had the throwable out and ready and was throwing off ancor to retrieve him. Fortunatly his boat was big enough that he weathered the swell from the ship OK. But if I was on board I would have been cleaning my shorts out.

Play Safe and know the river and regs. Big ships always win. Don't play tag with them.

[img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[birdhunter]

Okay, so this really is a pretty serious topic, but hearing about people falling out of boats reminded me of a pretty funny thing that happened last spring. It is known locally as the "Roslyn Lake Incident". We never have been able to figure out exactly what happened, but here are some of the agreed upon facts:

1. The event in question occured when we were out at Roslyn Lake kickin the c**p out of the rainbow trout one May afternoon.

2. We had just left the mouth of the Sandy, where the salmon had a serious case of lockjaw.

3. While at the Sandy, my friend Ben, tried to toss someone else (who shall remain nameless unless he cares to refute me) his favorite hand-made spinner.

4. The spinner never made it to the intended party. Instead it hit the edge of the boat and with a loud plop, sunk to the bottom of the river and out of sight. You should also note that this was "THE" spinner for the day. We are all sure it would have been guaranted to catch a fish if it had gotten the chance to be used.

5. Ben insisted that it was an accident and my friend forgave him for losing the hand-made spinner that he had caught his first salmon on. All appeared to be well and calm. After all it was an accident, right?

6. While at Roslyn we rowed into one of the coves to count the fish we had in the bottom of the boat and make sure thant in our excitment we hadn't caught too many. While we were counting the fish, Ben decided to get up on the bow and take a leak off the boat.

7. Now the logic that Ben was using (to determine that the bow of a boat is THE optimal place to take a ****) is still beyond me. The logic that my other friend was using (to determine that grabbing Ben by the ankles and shaking him would likewise be a good idea) is equally beyond my level of comprehension.

8. This is where everything gets kind of fuzzy. Some say Ben was pushed. Others say he was just clumsy and fell over on his own (he is very clumsy). Bottom line is this (as I was the only witness not involved): While taking a leak off the bow of a drif boat, Ben was shaken by my other friend and he fell into Roslyn lake head-first with his pants around his ankles.

9. We both leaned over the side of the boat to see bubbles coming up from the greenish water. When Ben finally surfaced after a good 20 seconds, he was gasping for air and screaming his lungs out. I don't think I've ever heard profanity so loud before. Immediately recognizing the serious nature of the situation I did what any good friend would do: Fell on the floor and laughed my a** off.

10. Some will say that it is my sadistic tendencies that led me to ignore the plight of my friend and not help him into the boat. I would argue that I was trying to counter-balance the craft so my other friend could retrieve him. In the process I might have released a light chuckle, as the situation was mildly amusing, but I did not ignore the seriousness of his plight for my own amusement.

11. Needless to say that was the end of that trip. We were lucky that it took place in a calm, relatively shallow body of water and that the weather was warm. Falling out of a boat is never fun, but it is is sometimes funny. In retrospect, we were all fairly lucky. To this day there still remains a great debate over the intent of my friend. Was it an innocent accident as he proclaims or a malicious case of revenge for the loss a beloved lure? Only the fishing gods really know!

[ol tuna skipper]

Fact, Studies show that of the fishermen that drown when falling overboard, a large percentage have their pants around their ankles when retrieved. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] Use a bucket. it's far safer than any bow or transom. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Besides I don't like it when you git pi$$ on the side my boat. [img]images/icons/mad.gif[/img]

[Killertraylor]

I have a friend who voluntarily jumped out of my boat while we were in the ocean off the mouth of the Columbia silver fishing. He didn't have his rod in the rodholder very well - fish hit it and pulled it out - he just went diving right in after it, without a life vest and in pants and a sweatshirt. He got the rod, fish pulled him under 3 different times as he was trying to fight it before I got back to him and finally lifted his wet ass back in the boat. He ended up losing the fish. The first thing I thought was "how am I going to convince his wife that he just went diving out the back of the boat and died?" I would have been a little more understanding if it was one of my rods, but he always brings his own.

I wear a stormy seas jacket with CO2 inflation - haven't had to use it yet, but I sure feel a lot more comfortable with it on.

[Gone Fishin]

I usually advise my clients and most regulars know the rule in my boat, if you fall out ... you stay out! Works like a charm, never lost anyone yet ... at least not that I know of anyway! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[WheresMyBobber]

Some very good points brought up here, but I'd like to add a couple comments.

* Re: being prepared to knock the person out if you have to jump in after them. Don't do it! The last thing you want is an unconcious person who can't protect their own airway in the water with you - that creates a very dangerous situation. That thought process was around back in my lifeguarding days, but it's not a good idea at all. In fact, avoid going in the water after the person at all costs. You are no good as a rescuer if you drown or get pulled under by the original victim. (and it happens a lot)

* If for some reason you do have to go in after somebody, take a floatation device, net, or pole to reach to them rather than getting yourself close enough for them to grab and pull you under.

* Always keep a throwable floatation device handy (it's required and must be accessible within 5 seconds in boats 16' or longer), and have spare rope you can tie to it. There is no guarantee you'll come close to the victim on your first throw, and unless you practice a lot you'll probably miss with the first throw. You need to be able to retrieve it and throw again fast. AND - ALWAYS THROW THE FLOATATION DEVICE UPSTREAM OF THE VICTIM SO IT WILL FLOAT DOWN TO HIM/HER.

* Always approach the victim from downstream if using a boat.

* Priority of rescue methods/ Reach - Throw - Row (motor) - Go (in the water yourself

[ 04-24-2001: Message edited by: WheresMyBobber ]

[Sanddune]

I have a question-not meant as criticism-but just a question. Pilar said you can find yourself or others pitched in the water at anytime if things go wrong yet most people do not wear life jackets. Why is it that we spend big bucks on reels, poles,boats and motors but won't invest in good PFDs(yes confortable ones are expensive) or at least wear them(its a little late to look for one when your in the water). An unconscious or chilled person does not react or swim well. The plans to react to manoverboard seem excellent but being prepared seems like a good idea. Just food for though.

[KrystalFlash]

I just had to respond to this for my good buddy Pilar..
You're in the boat and your buddy isn't...hmm..
The number one thing that you need to do is stay calm. Remember the most important piece of gear on the boat is the skipper's brain. Use your head.
Your buddy falls into the water...He:
a. Is scared as hell. Reassure him.
b. Will do anything to get back into the boat. Including pull you in trying to get back in. Use caution. Try to calm him.
c. Needs to get those wet clothes off as soon as he is in the boat..or if not...needs to get warm.
d. Needs to be treated for shock? Make sure you know how to indentify this condition and treat for it.
e. If possible, needs to swim to you. This will reduce the risk of you running him over with the boat. You know that the ocean can move your boat in strange ways even if you are in neutral.
f. Most of all....He needs you to remain cool and collected. Use your head!!!
Stop and think...
I'd rather be lucky than good!....K.F.

[ol tuna skipper]

You can never be too prepared. All these post will deffinitely help be stay mentally prepered for what we all hope never happens.
Thanks for all the eccellent input. We never realize how poorly prepared for a situation we are until it happens. Hopefully everyone survives and we learn.

Keep on boating. [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]