Cold-Water Person Overboard From a Workboat
On a cool April morning, an 8 m workboat with two crew is setting a marker buoy in a bay. Water temperature is 6 C, air 8 C, wind 15 knots, sea 0.5 m. While leaning over the side, the deckhand falls overboard between the hull and the buoy. He is wearing an inflatable PFD that inflates, but he is gasping and cannot shout. The operator is alone at the helm, 20 m from the buoy line, and the vessel has a throw bag, a boarding ladder, a first-aid kit, a VHF, and a cellphone. There is no davit or rescue sling. The propeller is turning at idle. The deckhand is drifting away at about 0.5 knot. The nearest Coast Guard rescue boat is 25 minutes away; a hospital is 40 minutes by road. The operator holds SVOP and MED A3.
1. What are your immediate actions in the first 60 seconds?
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Stop the propeller immediately by putting the engine in neutral and shutting it down if that is quick and safe; the deckhand is close to the hull. Shout man overboard, keep him in sight, and throw the throw bag or any buoyant object so he has something to hold. Mark the position on the GPS if there is a MOB button. Do not jump in; cold shock and gasping mean he may not be able to help with his own rescue. Turn the vessel carefully, avoiding the buoy line and the propeller, and approach from downwind and downcurrent so the vessel does not drift onto him. Call mayday on VHF 16 with position, one person in water, PFD worn, water temperature 6 C, vessel description, and assistance needed. Prepare the boarding ladder and a rope or strop. Ask the Coast Guard for the rescue boat and medical advice.
2. How do you recover him and manage cold-water immersion?
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Bring the vessel alongside slowly and put the engine in neutral before he reaches the hull. Get a line under his arms or around his chest and secure him to the vessel so he does not drift away. Because he is gasping and likely weak, he may not climb; use the boarding ladder and lift him horizontally with the rope rather than pulling him upright by the arms. Get him out of the wind, remove wet clothing, insulate him with dry blankets or clothing, and warm him gradually. Do not rub his limbs, give alcohol, or make him stand. Check breathing and responsiveness and be ready to start CPR; handle him gently because cold myocardium is irritable. Expect afterdrop, where core temperature continues to fall after rescue. Arrange EMS or medevac and keep monitoring.
3. What communications and reporting follow the recovery?
Read the worked answer
Keep the mayday or pan-pan active until the Coast Guard confirms no further assistance is needed. Report the patient's condition, the recovery time, and the plan to meet EMS or the rescue boat. Call the company contact and the harbour authority if the vessel will be delayed or the buoy line is a hazard. Record times: fall, engine stop, throw bag, mayday, recovery, and EMS arrival. Preserve the inflated PFD and the scene in case the incident is investigated. Report the accident to Transport Canada as required, and if there is a fatality, notify the coroner and police. After the event, debrief the crew, review the lack of a rescue sling or davit, and change the procedure so a person working at the side is tethered or has a standby crew member.