Man Overboard (Person Overboard)

An emergency in which a person has fallen or been lost from a vessel into the water.

Immediate actions normally include raising the alarm, maintaining a continuous lookout and pointing, marking the position, deploying flotation and manoeuvring for recovery while making appropriate distress or urgency communications.

The best recovery method depends on vessel, crew, weather and casualty condition. Recovery is not complete until the person is safely aboard and treated for injury, cold-water shock or hypothermia; crews should practise their vessel-specific plan.

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