Accident Prevention and Emergency Response

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

FALLS OVERBOARD, COLD WATER AND HYPOTHERMIA

To help prevent persons falling overboard, the operator of the boat should avoid making erratic movements such as sharp turns, quick starts and sudden stops. 

To avoid falls overboard, the operator of a boat should not allow any passengers to:

• Sit anywhere not specifically designed for seating such as the gunnel, bow, stern, or seat backs while the vessel is underway.
• Stand up or move about while the boat is underway unless the boat has adequate safety rails or gunnnel height.

If changing seats or moving about on small boats, stop the vessel. Keep a low center of gravity.

Always wear a properly fitting life jacket

Self-Rescue: What to do if you end up in the water

1. Don’t Panic
2. Get Out of the Water
3. Minimize Heat Loss
4. Signal Rescuers

• If you fall into the water and do not have on a life jacket – get one and hold on to it or put it on. Putting on a vest while in the water is extremely difficult, but can be done. If you have never practiced this maneuver, you may find that you end up expending a huge amount of precious energy trying to get into the vest.
• Cold-water immersion is a sudden full body entry into cold water – and it kills. Knowing how the body reacts to cold-water immersion can prepare boaters to correctly respond to this life-threatening situation and improve the chances of survival. If you fall into cold water (less than 55 degrees Fahrenheit), and are completely immersed, you may experience “cold shock”. Cold shock may cause an involuntary gasping, which, if you are underwater, means you can inhale water. Do not allow water to enter your airway!

• Prepare for cold-water conditions by always dressing for the water temperature and wearing appropriate flotation.  Wear a float coat, survival suit, or wet suit (long or short) during cold weather. Always prepare for cold-water immersion when the combined water and air temperature is less than 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
• A boater’s chances of surviving a cold-water immersion depend on being able to keep you head out of the water (wearing a life jacket), controlling breathing, retaining heat and quick rescue by self or others.
• Think about how you would reenter your boat if you capsized or fell overboard. If your boat is taking on water, avoid entry into the water as long a possible.
• Once you surface, control your breathing, and stay calm. Panicking doesn’t help.
• Try to get back into the boat, whether over the gunnel or the stern. It takes an enormous amount of energy and physical strength to hoist yourself from the water into a boat. You will have to grab on to some part of the boat and pull yourself up and out of the water to a point where at least your chest is up and over the gunnel. Once the chest is partially inside the boat, kick your feet as if swimming and at the same time pull your body into the boat.
• If you cannot get into the boat, stay with the boat. Most boats have enough built-in floatation to remain at or above the water surface. Attempt to get as much of your body out of the water as possible to lessen heat loss and provide flotation. Use the H.E.L.P position – Heat Escape Lessening Posture by pulling your knees into your chest, cross feet, cross arms over chest and float.
• If you cannot get into the boat, and because of the cold water, you may experience the inability to swim because of muscle contraction and drowning may occur.
• If you have nothing to hold on to, and are not able to grab flotation material, improvise. One way to improvise for a warm water environment is to take off long pants, tie leg ends together, pull the zipper up and blow air into the legs (you will have to submerge your head to perform this task). This works well with blue jean material and will hold air for several minutes. As air escapes, blow more air into the waist opening.
• If near the shoreline or other boats, yell or scream for help. If signaling devices are available, use them to attract attention, but save one or two until you actually see a potential rescuer. Any shiny object can be used to attract attention.
• Attempt to maneuver to the nearest shore or shallow water.

Post-Cold Water Immersion

After the initial entry into cold water and experiencing of cold shock, here is what else may happen to your body:

Hypothermia

• Hypothermia occurs when your core body temperature drops below its normal range, eventually leading to unconsciousness and death, with or without drowning. Hypothermia can occur whether you are in the water or not.
• Signs of hypothermia include: shivering, blue lips, slurred speech, slow reactions, inability to move (loss of motor control), and unconsciousness.

Collapse after being rescued

• Pay close attention to a person’s medical condition after they have been rescued. There is the likelihood that a person may appear physically ok after they are pulled from a cold water situation, but the body is still suffering the effects of the event.
• Treat all victims of cold water immersion as if they were in a life threatening situation. Call emergency services and, if feasible, transport the person to the nearest medical facility.

 
If other passengers were in the boat when it capsized, make sure everyone is accounted for and assist others. Get them anything that floats, and help them to the boat if necessary.

Most of all – DO NOT PANIC. Being in the water can be life threatening, but it’s not something you can’t overcome. If you panic and believe you won’t make it, you probably won’t. The more you thrash around, the more energy you waste. Have a positive attitude and remain calm. Think of every available option to stay afloat and chances are you will either rescue yourself or get rescued.

Rescue of Others

If a passenger of your boat falls overboard, and you are the operator, follow these steps for retrieval:

• Note which side the person fell overboard, and turn the boat to the same side. This action forces the stern (and the propellers) away from the person.
• Keep a constant eye on the person in the water and throw a flotation device to them.
• If you have GPS, lock in a waypoint. Sound the danger signal of 5 or more short and rapid blasts to alert all other boats that there is an emergency situation in the area.
• Approach the person by directing the boat into the seas and/or wind. This action prevents the boat from drifting into the person and allows the operator better maneuverability.
• Maneuver along side the person, and once close, bring engine(s) to neutral and shut off the engines.
• Once along side, toss the person a line or extend a boat hook and pull them to the boat.
• Assist the person to the swim platform, or lowest freeboard area of the boat.
• As you assist the person into the boat, STAY AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, either on your knees or with knees bent and feet spread well apart, to prevent yourself from being pulled into the water. Maintaining balance is crucial.
• Once recovered, check person for signs of trauma.

Treatment

• Prevent further heat loss. Get the victim out of the cold environment as quickly and gently as possible. Treat the hypothermia victim to your level of training.
• If possible, remove wet clothing and replace with warm dry clothing or coverings. Keep the head dry and covered.
• If dry clothing is not available, person-to-person body contact will help prevent further heat loss.
• Be prepared to provide basic life support and seek immediate medical attention.