What Happens If You Fall Overboard On A Ship

Explore the harrowing incidents of passengers falling overboard on ships and the measures taken to prevent them. From the dramatic rescues on the SS Bremen and SS Austral to the mysterious disappearance of Rudolf Diesel aboard the Dresden, we uncover real-life tales of survival and tragedy, while highlighting the advancements in emergency response systems designed to save lives at sea.

Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels– from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!

#ships #sinking #disaster #titanic #wrecks #exploration #history #adventure #design #engineering #mairitime #safety #vessels #sailing #documentary #story #oceanlinerdesigns

[stephengrimmer]

Just think, if Jack hadn't stopped Rose "falling" overboard, the Titanic would have had to turn around for a search, in the delay it would have missed the iceberg, 1, 500 lives would have been saved, and our Friend, Mike Brady wouldn't have had a YouTube channel!

[stephengrimmer]

As an ocean sea kayaker and dingy sailer who has on occasion taken a few "swims" offshore I cannot imagine your average cruiser passenger surviving any overboarding, especially after a multi-storey fall. Being in open seas in waves over your head is pretty intimidating even in an immersion suit and wearing a flotation device, and knowing how to self-rescue.

Most people without a swim aid cannot stay afloat long enough for hypothermia to set in. I do recall an East German merchant sea man who trod water for nearly 24 hours before rescue. The thought of watching your ship steaming into the night completely oblivious that you are overboard would sap most people's determination to survive that long.

[erikallder]

When I was in the Navy, we once did a man overboard dead reckoning drill. The drill was simple. We took a big bright orange floating box (I don’t recall exactly the size, but it was at least a 3ft cube) and threw it overboard. Everyone was on deck and watching it as it drifted away. By the time the box was only a half a nautical mile away, we could barely find it visually.

Keep in mind these things: 1. The horizon at sea level is 12 nautical miles away; 2. The box was much bigger and brighter than a human head (which is all that will be above water if you fall in); 3. The drill was conducted during daylight hours; 4., Everyone was topside looking for the box; 5. We already knew exactly where the box was supposed to be in relation to the ship.

Despite all of this, we STILL had difficulty keeping visual track of the box! Moral of the story: Stay on the damn boat, because if you fall overboard at sea, you are pretty much boned (especially at night)!

[janerkenbrack]

As a 20 year mariner, first in the US Navy and then merchant marine, I was connected to several man overboard situations. Two men were washed overboard during very high seas, and we managed to get them back aboard. The successful recovery of two other separate incidences resulting from men jumping overboard followed. I was once washed off the raised forecastle of a ship by a rogue wave, only to be deposited on the well deck by that same wave - a very painful but fortunate experience.
Lastly, I flew to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria to join a ship, to find the man I was relieving had jumped off the stern the night before as the ship sailed toward port. He had undressed and folded his clothes, stacking them at the stern.

Later, as a ship's officer, I masted the Williamson Turn, a maneuver that returns the ship on its same path in the opposite direction, and can work even if the time of the MOB was unknown. Fortunately, I never had to use it except in practice.

[the_lost_navigator]

I fall overboard. I pull out my (waterproof) phone. I can't call because of no Signal. As the Ship sails off into the sunset - I'll just watch a video, nstead... Ah, it's my good Friend, Mike Brady!

[nemesisofeden]

I don't plan on ever going on a ship.I feel like that's an excellent way to prevent yourself falling overboard.

[EvilOttoJrProductions]

I recently was on a Japanese overnight ferry from Sapporo to Tokyo, and while I thankfully did *not* fall overboard, I was keenly aware while on deck that only a single metal bar separated me from the churning sea below. It's not surprising to me to hear that falling overboard is, even in modern times with modern equipment, quite likely a death sentence.

[skyden]

I've only ever been on one cruise. During that time, I was so paranoid about accidently falling overboard that if whenever I drank any alcohol, I would always keep myself inside and away from the potentially hazardous, external railings.

[rp]

This has always been one of my nightmare scenarios - to fall overboard and be treading water while the ship sails away (assuming I wasn't sucked into the propellers). When I was a kid traveling on a transatlantic oceanliner with my family in the 1960s, my older brother was 'playing' and lifted me up half over the rail; a deckhand rushed up and pulled us back and yelled at my brother. If memory serves, this was also at dusk or at night, so little chance I would have been found.

[maegenyoungs]

Guys think. One day when all the older ship experts are gone on shows.
Mike Brady will be the face of new titanic videos and ship documentary’s

[lordhenrix]

Every time I’m on a cruise ship, this is my intrusive thought. And it was a great example about teaching my son about intrusive thoughts.

[iamrichrocker]

Saddest instance was a suicide by Colonel Charles White Whittlesey, Medal of Honor winner from the Lost Battalion saga..who suffered PTSD afterwards..this was a overlooked syndrome back then..on a cruise to Cuba he wrote several goodbye notes to loved ones and business parter and disappeared early morning hours...

[LaoGanMaNiac]

I love how cheerfully pitch black dark this is. Unfortunately your screams won't be heard as you slowly drown in the choppy waters. Thanks Mike!

[alexandermenschmaschine]

In the video with such a topic must be mentioned the Soviet scientist, oceanographer Stanislav Kurilov. To escape from the USSR he deliberately jumped out from the board of cruise ship in the Pacific ocean. He had a snorkeling mask and fins but he jumped to the ocean in stormy weather. He hasn't been noticed by the crew and he spent 3 days in the water before reaching Phillipines

[SYCHRN]

Hmm, another helpful option comes to my mind ... modern drones do not cost very much in relation to potentially saving a life, so when a man over board is detected, the liner could launce a drone to keep track of the position of the victim and as a marker where to head back to. This way, even if tide etc. drift the victim away from the accident position, the drone could follow and keep the contact. This might be worth a consideration.

[andywomack]

When I was very young, like five or six or so, part of the education was how to survive if in deep water. At 6, anything deeper than 5' is deep, and children were drowning in backyard and municipal pools then proliferating in urban and suburban areas.
We were taught the "dead man's float."
The human head is not buoyant, lungs filled with air are the most buoyant part of the human body.
Give a kick up, grab a breath, then stop kicking, submerge face in water relax and float for a few seconds, then repeat the process.
In calmer waters a back-float might work, and I have found that swimming on my back the least energy intensive way of moving through the water.
Alternating the two float strategies can widen that window of rescue opportunity

[EpicJoshua]

My dad and uncle worked on ice breakers and they were told that if they fell off while not wearing survival suits they would be dead by the time the ship turned around to rescue them

[antonrudenham]

I've been working at sea for 36 years and know a bit about MOB, mainly that it is extremely rare and that I have only once had direct experience of it and that was when a deck engineer friend of mine went OB from a dredger in the Thames Estuary back in the mid 1990's, he had been working under a conveyor belt that ran almost the full length of the starboard side in an area where only a flimsy chain acted as a railing, the crew knew what job he was doing and from the position of his tools they surmised that he had stood up and caught his head on the steelwork and keeled straight over the side stunned, he was probably conscious and must have suffered having to watch the ship sail away from him oblivious of his distress.
They found his body a few days later washed up on the Essex shore.

That aside Mike, could you address the mysteries surrounding the roughly 400 people who have simply disappeared on board cruise ships over the last 20 or so years?
Is there a dark side to cruising?

PS, you won't find me on a cruise ship for 3 reasons:
1/ I work at sea and it'd be a bit of a bus-mans holiday.
2/ The thought of being cooped up in a floating shopping centre fills me with horror.
3/ It's just a matter of time before something tragic happens to one of them.

[jazzmodern]

That's it. I'm not going on a boat without Mr. Brady ever again.

[CaptainColdyron]

I was on a cruise last month on the Carnival Celebration. My wife and I were relaxing in the pool area on deck 8 aft. We were sitting at the edge of the pool with our backs against the glass railing at the stern. It occurred to me that the only thing between us and the ocean eight decks below was that glass. Yeah, we moved into a couple deck chairs.