Man overboard. The action to be taken will be similar regardless of whether person has fallen overboard you own ship, or a person from another vessel or craft is seen already in the water

Man overboard

    The action to be taken will be similar regardless of whether person has fallen overboard you own ship, or a person from another vessel or craft is seen already in the water.

    Anyone seeing a person in the water should:

1. Shout out “Man overboard”.

2. Throw out the nearest life buoy.

3. Inform the bridge immediately.

4. Make sure that the watch keeping officer gets the massage “Man overboard”.

    The watch keeping officer will act immediately upon hearing “Man overboard”.

    He will:

1. Maneuver the ship so that the person who has fallen overboard can be rescued in the shortest possible time (for example: commence the Williamson turn or 60°-60° turn).

2. Send out a distress massage to other ships in the area and the closest Rescue Center so they can act in a search-and-rescue operation if necessary.

3. Alert the ship’s rescue-board and prepare for bringing the person who has gone overboard back on board again. The signal for “Man overboard” is the same as that for emergency station.

4. Post two look-outs with binoculars.

5. Put the engines at stand-by below and inform the engine room.

6. Instruct the emergency squad to go to accident boat stations.

7. If at night, arrange for an extra (дополнительно) man to operate the searchlight or signaling lamp.

     A rescue-boat will be sent out to pick up (подобрать) the person that has gone overboard.

     After the rescue the person that went overboard must be observed continuously (постоянно) until recovered.

     The signal for a general emergency is the continuous sounding of the emergency alarms accompanied (следующие) by four long blasts on the ship’s whistle.