Imagine it: You’re on a cruise, getting ready to settle into bed at midnight after a long day of sun, fun, and possibly a few too many cocktails. Suddenly, the peace and quiet is shattered by three loud, short blasts of the ship’s horn. Faintly from the hallway intercom, you hear a tinny voice shouting “Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!” And then you feel the ship begin to slow. You wonder what’s going on– and discover that you are experiencing a man overboard situation.
Normally we try to focus our blog articles on happier topics like drink packages, cruise ducks and weddings. However, it’s hard to miss headlines like “Man Overboard on Carnival Cruise” or “Man Jumps off Royal Caribbean Cruise.” You’ve probably wondered how often people fall off cruise ships. Perhaps you’ve even questioned what to do if there’s a man overboard emergency on your next cruise. This article will answer many of those questions.
By the way, “man overboard” is an international maritime term that is used regardless of gender.
How Often Do People Fall off Cruise Ships?
How frequent are man overboard incidents on cruises? According to a report from the Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA), there were 212 man overboard incidents from 2009-2019. That’s about 19 incidents per year on average. These numbers are relatively low considering the millions of passengers who cruise during the same period. In 2019, for example, 29.7 million passengers boarded a cruise ship.
How Does Someone Fall off a Cruise Ship?
In most cases, they don’t. The railings on cruise ships on most cruise ships are at least 42 inches high, thanks to some fairly strict regulations in the U.S. Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010. For perspective, I’m 5’9” tall, and 42 inches is a few inches above my navel. While it certainly wouldn’t be impossible for me to accidentally fall over that railing, it would be pretty unlikely.
Then how do people fall off cruise ships?
Accidental Overboards on a Cruise
Accidental overboards exist, like the tragic story of the toddler who fell off a Royal Caribbean ship in 2019. Her grandfather stated that he simply held her up to a window for a better view. However, she slipped out of his hands and plummeted to her death as the ship was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. And last year, a woman fell off Mariner of the Seas while sitting on a ship railing trying to take a selfie. Fortunately for her, she was rescued.
More often than not, accidental overboards are likely a result of drinking too much. Let’s face it: People have a tendency to throw caution to the wind after a few cocktails. Drink packages (as much as we love them) encourage us to consume a bit more than we might normally. Of course, reckless stunts like balancing on the railing or climbing from balcony to balcony would be dangerous even while sober. Add poor balance and slower reflexes to the mix, and it becomes a recipe for disaster. Even a 42-inch railing can’t compete against a dozen Long Island ice teas.
Intentional Overboards on a Cruise
Intentional overboards are much more commonplace, either an act of violence or an act of suicide. For example, in Carl Hiaasen’s book Skinny Dip, the main character is pushed off a cruise ship by her shyster husband (I won’t spoil what happens after that). While this story was fictional, there have certainly been similar real-life instances of murders and attempted murders. In 2020, a California man was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his wife and throwing her body overboard.
And sadly, some cruisers also purposefully jump off cruise ships to commit suicide. In May of this year, an Australian man jumped off a P&O cruise ship. The father of three took his own life after losing close to $9,000 in the ship’s casino.
What Happens in a Man Overboard Emergency?
There are a few different ways ships might detect a person overboard. Thermal cameras or micro-radars are used on many cruise ships as overboard detection sensors. These can alert the crew immediately when they an overboard incident is detected. However, not every ship has these systems.
Much more frequently, someone witnesses a fall or leap from a ship’s public area and informs the crew. As the ship’s crew springs into action, you’ll likely hear three long blasts on the ship’s horn. You might hear the phrase “Code Oscar” or “Oscar Oscar Oscar” announced over the ship’s intercom system. Some cruise lines will also use the phrase “Mr. Mob”– as in “Mr. Mob, please report to guest services.” “MOB” is the abbreviation used in the maritime community for “Man Over Board.”
This process will also be used if a person is reported missing, like the incident that occurred in late 2022 on the Carnival Valor. The sister of James Michael Grimes reported him missing, and after an exhaustive search of the ship, determined he must have fallen overboard.
Search and Rescue for Man Overboard
Once the crew activates the man overboard alarm, the captain or officer on deck will stop the ship and hit the man overboard button, which stores the ship’s coordinates. They also notify the Coast Guard (or its equivalent in other parts of the world) so they can begin a search and rescue operation. The officer on duty will also alert other nearby vessels, including cargo and cruise ships. Meanwhile, the ship’s crew (and possibly some curious/helpful passengers) will then muster on the main deck to search for the person in the churning waters below.
If the lost passenger is visible, the crew will also throw a life preserver overboard in the direction of the lost passenger. This is helpful even when the passenger isn’t visible. The life preserver is equipped with a device which will billow out a stream of smoke, similar to shooting off a flare. An overboard passenger will drift in the current, and the life preserver will drift in the same direction. This will help the searchers to pinpoint the lost passenger’s potential location.
Stopping a 30 million pound ship isn’t easy, and the ship will need to essentially make a complete U-turn to return to the spot where the passenger was lost. This could take an hour or more for a ship traveling at top speed. The ship will continue searching until the passenger is found or the Coast Guard clears it to continue on its travels.
In the case of James Michael Grimes, he was found by a cargo ship after treading water for 20 hours in the Gulf of Mexico, but most man overboard situations – especially when nobody witnessed the incident – don’t end as happily. Less than 30% of those who went overboard between 2009 and 2019 were successfully rescued.
What Do I Do if I Witness a Man Overboard Situation?
If you see someone jump or fall off a cruise ship, you should immediately shout “Man Overboard!” don’t worry about being gender specific. Shout it loudly enough for other passengers around you and the ship’s crew to hear. If no crew is nearby, enlist a friend or bystander to find a crew member and spread the word.
There may be a life ring or buoy near you, and if there is, throw it in, trying to get it as close as possible to the person who went overboard (or the last spot you saw them). If you can’t find a life preserver, throw anything brightly colored you can find in their direction– preferably items that float. Cushions, lounge chairs, pool floaties, anything you can find. Hopefully the lost passenger can use the item as a flotation device. However, even if they can’t, the floating junk will help the ship’s captain and the coast guard easily find the spot where the passenger was lost.
Finally, find someone nearby who is on the ship’s wi-fi and has their phone handy, and ask them to drop a pin on their mapping app. Have them share the information with the ship’s officer on duty or other crew members.
Feel Secure on Your Next Cruise
Man overboard incidents are rare, and it’s unlikely you’ll ever experience this situation. However, it’s encouraging to understand how seriously the cruise lines take these incidents.
Sea Vixen Voyages presents you with this information to help you feel safe and secure on your next journey. Are you interested in booking a cruise? Please use our no-obligation inquiry form or call us at 941-479-8980.
