| Your ability to survive at sea depends on a range of | | | | chances of being rescued. |
| factors which make all the difference. You must | | | | Exposure |
| absolutely know how to use safety equipment and | | | | Extended exposure to the elements can be incredibly |
| where it is kept onboard. As well as this, you need to | | | | dangerous, with hot weather speeding up |
| have the appropriate survival skills and, just as | | | | dehydration, and colder weather putting the body |
| importantly, the ability to apply them in the event of | | | | further at risk for hypothermia. Be sure to protect |
| an emergency. | | | | yourself as much as possible from the extremes in |
| Man Overboard | | | | the environment to help ensure survival. |
| Someone falling overboard may initially appear to | | | | In hot weather: |
| have a simple solution of just turning around, heading | | | | - Create shade by rigging a canopy. |
| back and picking them up - the reality of the situation | | | | - Avoid sunburn by covering your skin with clothes. |
| can be much more complex. Locating the casualty in | | | | In cold weather: |
| the water, navigating toward them with your craft | | | | - Put on an anti-exposure suit or clothing if it's |
| and finally getting them on board can all present their | | | | available. |
| own problems that could see the situation quickly | | | | - Rig a windbreak, spray shield or canopy to reduce |
| turn tragic. | | | | the cold. |
| By following procedures and ensuring all passengers | | | | - Keep the inside of the raft dry by covering it in |
| crew are wearing the correct safety equipment, you | | | | canvas or cloth. |
| can ensure that in the event of someone going | | | | - Huddle with the others in your raft to keep warm |
| overboard, you are in the best possible position to | | | | and use anything available to cover the passengers |
| prevent a tragedy. | | | | and keep them warm. |
| - Ensure all passengers and crew are wearing life | | | | - If you have rations available, ensure those suffering |
| vests at all times. | | | | from exposure are given more rations. |
| - Consider equipping each of the people on board | | | | Dealing with Hypothermia |
| with a device such as a personal EPIRB (Emergency | | | | Even the slightest change in your temperature can |
| Position Indicating Radio Beacon) or, even better, a | | | | affect your ability to survive during an emergency. |
| Mobilarm 406 PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) marine | | | | Your body can cool down 25 times faster in cold |
| safety device. The difference between the two is | | | | water than in air so it's extremely important to keep |
| that an EPIRB must be manually activated in the | | | | dry. During mild hypothermia (35°C - 36°C) |
| water (bad if the casualty is unconscious), and sends | | | | a person will feel cold, experience violent shivering |
| its rescue signal back to land. A Mobilarm PLB is | | | | and slurred speech. Try to administer warm sweet |
| automatically activated and sends an audible and | | | | drinks, food and warm with a bath or fire. |
| visual alarm back to the boat from where they fell, | | | | In the event of medium hypothermia (34°C - |
| along with GPS directions on-board. Learn more about | | | | 33°C) a person will start to lose muscle control, |
| Mobilarm PLB's and other standard EPIRB devices. | | | | feel drowsy and exhausted and become incoherent. |
| - If someone is overboard, ensure one | | | | A person with mild hypothermia must be handled |
| crewmember's job is solely that of a spotter. They | | | | gently, given warm sweet drinks and warmed via |
| should only be tasked with keeping a constant eye | | | | steam or a warm oxygen mask. Monitor their pulse |
| on the casualty in the water, pointing toward them | | | | and breathing and lay them down with their legs |
| and yelling their whereabouts. | | | | slightly elevated. |
| - Commence man overboard rescue turns and | | | | At 32°C a person will stop shivering, collapse and |
| procedure. (Learn more about these marine safety | | | | must be transferred to a hospital urgently. At |
| turns to help locate any MOB). | | | | 30°C they will become unconscious and at |
| If you fall overboard: | | | | 28°C they will suffer a cardiac arrest. In the |
| - Remain calm, keep your legs and arms close | | | | event of this, administer CPR with mouth-to-mouth |
| together and restrict movement as much as possible | | | | breathing. |
| to stop flushing cold water under your clothes. | | | | Water |
| - Do all you can to conserve body heat. This starts | | | | Water alone will keep you alive for ten days or |
| with tightening all wrist, ankle, waist and neck | | | | longer so you need to ensure your ration it well. No |
| fastenings on clothing. | | | | matter what happens, do not drink seawater, urine |
| - If conditions are rough, keep your back to | | | | or alcohol. |
| approaching waves so your mouth and nose is clear | | | | - When drinking water moisten your lips, tongue and |
| of the spray. | | | | throat before swallowing. |
| - If wearing a Mobilarm 406 Personal Locator Beacon, | | | | - If you don't have water don't eat. You may |
| wait for rescue and do all you can to help be noticed | | | | become seasick and experience more dehydration. |
| by your craft. If wearing a personal EPIRB, activate it | | | | - Reduce your loss of water through perspiration by |
| as soon as possible. | | | | soaking your clothes in the sea, wringing them out |
| Rafts | | | | and putting them on again. This should only be |
| In the event of a vessel capsizing, your best chance | | | | undertaken in hot weather. |
| for survival is to get to a raft. Here are some things | | | | - Do not smoke. |
| to consider once you are in one. | | | | - Watch for clouds and be ready for showers. Create |
| - Remain calm and calm down any passengers who | | | | a tarpaulin to catch any rainwater. |
| are not coping with the situation. Your survival | | | | - Use a desalting kit if available in your first aid kit. |
| depends on your ability to think clearly and act | | | | Detecting land |
| cleverly. | | | | - Watch carefully for any signs of land. |
| - Check everyone's physical condition and commence | | | | - A fixed cumulus cloud in a clear sky or amongst |
| first aid if required. Seasickness pills should be part of | | | | other clouds that are moving can indicate an island. |
| any first aid kit and should be administered as soon | | | | - A greenish tint in the sky can indicate a reflection |
| as someone begins to feel ill. Becoming dehydrated is | | | | of sunlight off shallow lagoons or coral reef shelves. |
| one of the biggest dangers. | | | | - Lighter coloured water may indicate shallow water |
| - To increase the chances of your vessel being seen | | | | and that land may be near. |
| use any signalling devices or reflecting material to | | | | - Listen for sounds during times of poor visibility. The |
| attract attention. | | | | sound of surf or birds may indicate land is close. |
| - Locate the emergency radio and follow the | | | | It goes without saying that hopefully there will never |
| operating instructions to use. | | | | be any need for putting any of these tips and advice |
| - Check the raft for inflation, leeks or points of | | | | into practice. Still, if you ever do find yourself in a |
| chaffing. Do this regularly to ensure your raft remains | | | | precarious situation out on the open ocean, the right |
| strong and intact. If you are in hot weather, release | | | | preparation, training and knowledge can help ensure |
| a little of the air to avoid expansion. | | | | you have the best fighting chance at surviving until |
| - Throw out the sea anchor so that you remain close | | | | rescue. |
| to where your vessel sank. This will increase your | | | | |