In short, the answer to “what is most likely to cause someone to fall overboard?” is standing up in a boat. This applies to those within a small boat that tends to lack large safety rails. Different reasons apply for larger boats such as on a cruise boat.
Going on a cruise is a fun activity to embark on whether you’re alone or with loved ones. When they go on one, most people think about what to wear, what activities they’ll do on the ship, what to bring in terms of sunscreen and medication for seasickness.
No one really thinks of what could possibly go wrong on the cruise. The reason is that we all know that one way or another, we’re sure going back home.
I’m sorry to say this, but there are indeed some incidents that could happen while you’re on a cruise. One of which is falling overboard.
Since 2000 around 300 people have fallen overboard. Although that isn’t as much in comparison to the number of people who go on cruises. It still is something important that you need to take seriously.
In this article, I’ll be telling you what is most likely to cause someone to fall overboard.
How Do People Fall Overboard?
Most of the causes that might lead someone to fall overboard are due to reckless and intentional acts.
The ship rails are around 40 inches long. The reason that they’re built so high is to prevent any accidents happening while you’re on the boat. For instance, imagine you’re peacefully enjoying the scenery and you felt dizzy for a few seconds. If the rails were short, you’d fall over in a split second.
The only reason someone might fall ‘accidentally’ is if they were to climb, sit, or stand on the rails. These all fall under reckless actions.
Now, you’d think to yourself “why would someone climb over a rail in the first place?”
There are a couple of reasons, we’ll discuss them below.
Standing Up
Standing up is the most common cause for someone to fall overboard in a small boat. When in motion, many people tend to lose balance and go over the low railing or side.
Alcohol
You’re on a vacation, you want to enjoy your time and relax. Although these are the reasons why you went on a cruise in the first place, drinking should be well maintained and under control.
Some people get way too drunk that they start acting differently or testing their ‘limits’.
That’s why it’s always advised you drink responsibly. You could also inform someone who’s with you on the ship of your whereabouts, just in case of any emergency that might occur.
Suicide
As sad as this may sound, it does happen. There were a few cases in which people purposely jumped off the ship.
Usually, suicide on ships takes place late at night. So that not many people are around. This way, there’s no way to be saved.
Those who commit suicide on ships have either gone through massive disturbances or due to a massive amount of alcohol consumption.
Please try to talk to someone you trust about any conditions you may have. This applies to your loved ones too.
Pushed or Thrown Overboard
Yes, this does happen!
There were cases where some people have gotten pushed overboard. Some killers may remain undetected, though.
That is because usually, in this case, there isn’t enough evidence or witnesses around.
Can People Survive Falling Overboard?
With a heavy heart, it happens rarely. What’s even more surprising is that most people who fall overboard are dead even before they’re in contact with the water. Sometimes a person’s heart may stop due to adrenaline kicking in hard.
Some while falling may end up bumping into any part of the ship, again causing them to die before they touch the water.
In other cases, the water’s impact from the fall may cause death as well. The water’s temperature also does play a role.
If the water is too cold, the effect of the cold water against your body may cause you to get into a cold shock, which will lead to hypothermia.
Although the survival rate is low. It’s possible if you remember to stay calm and relaxed. As hard as it may sound, I can’t emphasize enough on the importance of staying calm. You’d also need to stay afloat.
I recommend having a whistle with you while you’re on a ship. Just in case you’re in any tough situation and you need people to come running.
Are Cruise Ships Prepared for When Someone Goes Overboard?
This all depends on whether the action was noticed at the time it occurred or discovered later on.
If the fall was seen right away, the captain is required to notify the coast guard. In which they may send nearby ships to help in the search, and in some cases even send planes and helicopters.
The captain must also turn back to the location in which the person had fallen. They’d also need to send in their trained guards to go down and rescue whoever fell into the water.
If the fall wasn’t witnessed, then the ship’s crew is required to take a look at the ship’s camera footage. They’d need to find out when the accident happened to be able to better determine where the fall took place.
They’d take as long as they need to find the person who had fallen overboard. In this situation though, the survival rate is almost impossible.
When such an incident happens, there’s an announcement that gets broadcasted for the whole ship.
Everyone who’s on the ship is most likely to find out about what happened. The broadcast serves two purposes. The first being to inform some of the crew members to search. The second is to inform the passengers about any changes in the itinerary.
How to Prevent People from Going Overboard?
Along with having really long rails, the staff does give a thorough warning on the things passengers should be aware of during the trip.
In my opinion, I feel there should be some kind of an alarm system on the rails. This way when someone steps on it, somehow the ship’s crew would be notified early on and be able to prevent or even save the person who’s about to go overboard.
Another factor that was discussed before is trying to limit the amount of alcohol consumption for passengers. Even though that does seem a bit hard to do, it is still possible. Maybe allowing a certain number of drinks per passenger per day might work.
I believe a few tweaks may decrease the number of people going overboard. Although it’s not that high, it does happen. Preventing it one way or another will save lives!