8 Steps to Rescue a Boat Passenger From the Water

“One hand for yourself and one for the ship.”

It’s a proverb that’s been around for centuries, and it’s great advice. But proverbs can only go so far.

Things happen fast out on the water, and even if you know how to keep yourself safe, your passengers may not.

Maybe you’re out on a fishing trip with a group of friends. While you’re waiting for a bite, a large boat passes, sending a big wake in your direction. In an instant, one of your passengers loses their balance and falls overboard, turning a sunny day into something potentially much darker.

This isn’t a far-fetched scenario. In fact, it happens all the time.

A big storm or choppy waters aren’t required for a relaxing trip to take a turn. Even when the sun is shining and the water is smooth as glass, accidents happen — which is why vigilance and preparation are key, regardless of when or where you’re boating.

To help you keep everyone on your craft safe, here’s what you need to know about performing proper water rescue steps from a boat.

The Importance of Swift Action in Water Rescue

When a person falls overboard, the first decisions you make will determine whether or not they get out of the water okay.

This burden extends beyond the skipper to all crew members and passengers on the boat. Everyone should be trained on basic water rescue steps ahead of time — because once someone goes overboard, it’s too late to start learning.

Acting as fast as possible mitigates some of the biggest risks of going overboard, such as:

• Drowning: The longer someone is in the water, the greater their risk of drowning, especially if they’re disoriented or unable to swim.
• Hypothermia: More people die of hypothermia than from drowning, and the danger isn’t limited to cold water. Too long in even 70-degree water can lead to hypothermia and death. Many people don’t even realize they’re in danger until it’s too late.
• Disorientation and Panic: These impact a person’s ability to stay afloat. But when you act quickly, you reduce panic by letting them know everything’s going to be okay.
• Visibility Issues: Conditions such as fog, low light, and rough water make it more difficult to see a person in the water the farther away you get. Just a two-foot chop can cause you to lose sight of someone, extending their time in the water and increasing the risk of a bad outcome.

Time is a limited resource. Responding quickly is just as important as taking the appropriate rescue steps. The faster you get someone out of the water, the higher their chances of survival. 

8 Steps for a Water Rescue From a Boat

Every situation is different, and factors like the weather and the size of the vessel will impact the steps you take to safely recover a person who falls overboard.

The following guidelines will serve as a solid foundation for most situations. But, remember: If you get the person out of the water alive, it doesn’t matter how you did it — you did everything right.

Step 1: Raise an Alert

Anyone who sees a person fall overboard should immediately shout “man overboard” to alert everyone on the boat. 

But just knowing someone went overboard isn’t enough; captains need to know where that person is. I train my crew and passengers to shout the location where they saw the person fall — port, starboard, bow, or stern. For those without a nautical vocabulary, even indicating left, right, back, or front is helpful in locating the person quickly.

Step 2: Maintain Visual Contact

Never lose visual contact with the person in the water. If there’s more than one person on the boat, the skipper can designate a crew member or passenger to help by continuously pointing at the fallen person. This way, the boat handler will always know where to go without needing verbal communication.

Step 3: Maintain Communication

When possible, always maintain communication with the person in the water. Panic only makes the situation worse, but informing them about the rescue plan can keep them calm.

Tell them clearly what you need them to do and what you’re going to do: “Stay where you are!” “Don’t panic!” “I’m throwing you a float bag!” “I’m turning around and coming right back!”

Let them know every step of the rescue process.

Step 4: Throw a Flotation Device

A lifebuoy, throw bag, or anything that floats will help the person stay above water without struggling. Be careful to aim near the person rather than at them when you throw the device. They’re in bad enough trouble without getting hit in the head.

Even if you lose sight of the person in the water before throwing a flotation device, tossing in a floating object can help you predict where the person will end up in the water. It’s easy to rely on a ship’s “man overboard” button, which takes a GPS coordinate of the spot a person falls in. But they won’t be there anymore by the time you turn the boat around.

Since the wind and current will push a floating object in the same direction as the person, the object gives you an idea of where the person may be. 

Step 5: Initiate Rescue Maneuvers

The next step is to stop the boat near the person without getting too close. How you do so depends on the situation.  

For example, approaching from the windward side can push you toward the person in rough waters. But on a calm day, you may want to approach on the leeward side to avoid drifting over them. Then, you may need to perform a quick stop, a racetrack turn, or a Williamson turn — it all depends on factors like the weather, your experience, the person’s condition and ability to swim, and the type of boat.

Earning a captain’s license is one way to ensure you have the knowledge and experience necessary to not only choose the right maneuver but to perform it safely as well. The Mariners Learning System course is designed to teach you exactly what you need to know to navigate real-life situations like these. 

Step 6: Deploy Rescue Equipment

You’ve reached the person, but how do you get them out of the water? It’s no easy task to pull a 200-pound, wet, injured man three feet or more over the side of a boat. The best answer is to use a tool to assist you.

Some resources to consider adding to your gear include:

• A life sling: This safety device slips around a person’s body under their arms and then uses pulleys to lift them out of the water.
• A recovery ladder: Uninjured people can climb this soft, mesh ladder to get back into the boat. The wide design also allows injured or hypothermic people to lay across it and buckle in for crewmembers to lift them up.
• A life raft: Most cruising boats have a life raft onboard, making it a handy tool if you don’t have other equipment available. It’s much easier to pull someone over the side of a raft than a boat.

Step 7: Perform First Aid

Some injuries, such as a blow to the head or being knocked unconscious, require immediate and professional medical attention. However, hypothermia is generally the first concern for a rescued individual.

As soon as they’re out of the water, start getting them out of their wet clothes and into something warm and dry. Next, you can take any other necessary first-aid actions.

Step 8: Report the Incident

If someone is injured or worse, you’ll have to inform the proper authorities, typically the Coast Guard. Then, simply provide any requested information or assistance.

Prioritize Safety Aboard Your Boat: Know the Crucial Water Rescue Steps

Your reaction in a man overboard situation depends on dozens of variables, and no guide could cover every possible combination of water rescue steps from a boat. Bottom line: Be decisive and resourceful — and if you rescue someone, you did everything right.

Make sure you’re equipped to understand the variables and make the best decisions in complicated situations like these. Signing up for a Coast Guard-approved captain’s license course is a great start to greater safety on the water.