What Happens When Someone Falls Overboard on a Cruise?

[com_op_2000]

245 man overboards in the last 10 years.
Checkout this article:
https://www.yahoo.com/travel/what-happens-if-you-fall-overboard-113208391642.html

 

[E ticket rider]

Generally, you die... If you are really lucky, someone sees you and you have a chance to get rescued. But the likelihood of you surviving just the fall alone isn't all that great. You are most likely to either die on impact or suffer a debilitating injury that will lead to your death. Sadly, the leading causes of MOB scenarios are stupidity and suicide...

 

[tinkmom2]

Disney picks them up On my first Wonder cruise we picked up a Carnival passenger that went overboard. DCL sure knows what they are doing.

 

[Sunshine2U]

Disney picks them up On my first Wonder cruise we picked up a Carnival passenger that went overboard. DCL sure knows what they are doing.

Yes. That. Thank you Tinkmom2! I choose that answer as the truthful one!

 

[SillyInventor]

That's 24,5 on average per year, worldwide.
In 2012 33.500 people were killed in traffic accidents in the USA only. Yes, that is just under 100 a day!

Still people worry about their safety onboard a very well maintained and very safe Cruise-ship, while they drive their cars into traffic or even cross the busy street as a pedestrian without a blink.

For DCL specific, two MOB cases are known. A DCL CM went overboard and is assumed to have committed suicide, she was never found, very sad.
The second was a boy who jumped overboard while the Ship was docked, climbed up again and was confined to quarters by the Captain for the remainder of the cruise.

But to answer OP's question: if you are spotted while going overboard (just falling really isn't possible) you are in luck as the crew will immediately start the MOB procedure and will try to rescue you with a lifeboat.
If you are not spotted you will probably never be found again in the Big Blue. There is no way you can rescue yourself swimming halfway Florida and the Bahama's, simply because you have no way to navigate which way to swim either by day or by night. In the night you will not be visible in the dark Ocean and with a Ship at cruising speed you are quickly left behind.

 

[Bree]

Statistics are rather low. You really have to work hard at "falling" overboard. Hundreds of cruise ships are at sea everyday around the world with thousands of passengers.

 

[moomy-san]

The Disney procedure for man overboard is once they are alerted to a passenger overboard, the very first crew member that has eyes on the victim CANNOT MOVE A MUSCLE until emergency response teams are dispatched. They are supposed to watch the person in the water until the rescue is attempted/completed. (Some say they are to keep pointing at the victim- 2 people told me this part but 1 person said he had never been instructed to do that)

 

[MPS516]

DCL has Man Overboard detection system on their ships. Should someone go overboard an alarm goes off on the bridge, the camera playback then shows who / what it was.

 

[tinkerone]

and do they not say at the safety drill that if you witness the man overboard you are to toss one of the life rings and call it in? I think they are pretty prepared. I do disagree that if you go overboard that's the end of you.

I didn't realize Disney ships had the overboard detection system, is that on their ships now?

 

[C6PT7]

The Disney procedure for man overboard is once they are alerted to a passenger overboard, the very first crew member that has eyes on the victim CANNOT MOVE A MUSCLE until emergency response teams are dispatched. They are supposed to watch the person in the water until the rescue is attempted/completed. (Some say they are to keep pointing at the victim- 2 people told me this part but 1 person said he had never been instructed to do that)

I think you have misinterpreted what they said.
The first procedure told to me when I asked was yelling Man Over Board, Man Over Board, Man Over Board as loud as possible constantly whilst trying to alert other PAX to call the bridge to alert them. Find the nearest life ring and throw it overboard.
If others were around, get them to watch the MOB whilst you seek help, but otherwise you find help?

 

[C6PT7]

DCL were one of the first adopter's of the technology and good for them!

 

[perditax]

That's 24,5 on average per year, worldwide.
In 2012 33.500 people were killed in traffic accidents in the USA only. Yes, that is just under 100 a day!

Still people worry about their safety onboard a very well maintained and very safe Cruise-ship, while they drive their cars into traffic or even cross the busy street as a pedestrian without a blink.

For DCL specific, two MOB cases are known. A DCL CM went overboard and is assumed to have committed suicide, she was never found, very sad.
The second was a boy who jumped overboard while the Ship was docked, climbed up again and was confined to quarters by the Captain for the remainder of the cruise.

But to answer OP's question: if you are spotted while going overboard (just falling really isn't possible) you are in luck as the crew will immediately start the MOB procedure and will try to rescue you with a lifeboat.
If you are not spotted you will probably never be found again in the Big Blue. There is no way you can rescue yourself swimming halfway Florida and the Bahama's, simply because you have no way to navigate which way to swim either by day or by night. In the night you will not be visible in the dark Ocean and with a Ship at cruising speed you are quickly left behind.

I've read this story before about the kid who jumped and then was confined to the brig, but I can't quite picture it. How did he "climb up again"? Or do you mean he tried to jump a second time? I guess this was from a lower deck?

 

[cashe]

DCL has Man Overboard detection system on their ships. Should someone go overboard an alarm goes off on the bridge, the camera playback then shows who / what it was.

my husband just said "wow, thanks for the heads up. i guess there goes my plan of throwing you overboard, i would have hated to have gotten caught" LOL.

 

[moomy-san]

I meant that as an 'after' to an alert being issued, fwiw. Obviously, standing there pointing isn't going to do anyone any good if they haven't yelled Man Overboard and the life preserver etc being thrown. They use the technology but still require eyes on the body in the water.
And I asked my friend who is onboard as an officer and he said yes, we are both right.

 

[truck1]

The Disney procedure for man overboard is once they are alerted to a passenger overboard, the very first crew member that has eyes on the victim CANNOT MOVE A MUSCLE until emergency response teams are dispatched. They are supposed to watch the person in the water until the rescue is attempted/completed. (Some say they are to keep pointing at the victim- 2 people told me this part but 1 person said he had never been instructed to do that)

That's pretty standard. Ive had that training on one of the classes Ive taken. Who ever sees the person go over is supposed to watch and never take there eyes off that spot. Period the end. Its real easy to lose someone if you take your eyes off them in the water. Once the rescue crew makes contact, you can move.

 

[truck1]

Generally, you die... If you are really lucky, someone sees you and you have a chance to get rescued. But the likelihood of you surviving just the fall alone isn't all that great. You are most likely to either die on impact or suffer a debilitating injury that will lead to your death. Sadly, the leading causes of MOB scenarios are stupidity and suicide...

All depends on how high you are and how you hit the water and where.

Disney picks them up On my first Wonder cruise we picked up a Carnival passenger that went overboard. DCL sure knows what they are doing.

We were on that cruise also. My FIL and I watched him come aboard from the lifeboat.

For DCL specific, two MOB cases are known. A DCL CM went overboard and is assumed to have committed suicide, she was never found, very sad.
The second was a boy who jumped overboard while the Ship was docked, climbed up again and was confined to quarters by the Captain for the remainder of the cruise.

Theres at least 1 more. Someone jumped from the Wonder I think in Nassau. They went past my grandparents room on the way down. The ambulance was next to the ship when we got off to go to Atlantis that night. (This is when the ships still stayed on Nassau until 2am) I asked a crew member and they told me about it. My grandmother told me later she heard them hit the water from their cabin.

 

[TimeAndTide]

Well when I was stressing to my preschool age children why they must never, ever climb on a railing, I explained that even if they managed to survive the fall without being very, very hurt, they would still be in trouble because the sharks would GOBBLE them up! However, I couldn't find reference to this on the Disney website so it may not be entirely accurate. ;-). (Shhh! Don't tell my kids!)

 

[quarkwright]

I've read this story before about the kid who jumped and then was confined to the brig, but I can't quite picture it. How did he "climb up again"? Or do you mean he tried to jump a second time? I guess this was from a lower deck?

He landed in the water, then made his way onshore. The boat was docked, people were coming and going for shore excursions. The boy went to re-board the same way other passengers do, but was found out when they swiped his keycard and it had never been swiped for him leaving the ship. That plus his wet clothes led to a confession and his confinement.

 

[SillyInventor]

I've read this story before about the kid who jumped and then was confined to the brig, but I can't quite picture it. How did he "climb up again"? Or do you mean he tried to jump a second time? I guess this was from a lower deck?

From what I understood he climbed up to shore. There are ladders to the shore in harbours. Then he tried to re-enter the Ship with his KTTW, but in the system he was stil registered as "on board", which must have lead to questions from the CM at the gangway. That got it running.

 

[SillyInventor]

and do they not say at the safety drill that if you witness the man overboard you are to toss one of the life rings and call it in?

Yes, that is part of the safety instructions. You are supposed to yell "man overboard", preferably to a nearby CM.