The accident that happened to sailor Dag Eresund during the Arc 2024 puts the spotlight back on one of the most serious emergencies that can happen on board a yacht: the overboard fall of a crew member or so called man overboard. Here’s how to prevent this type of accident, what the legislation provides for it and how to rescue the shipwrecked crew member.
All it takes is a few seconds, a gust of wind, a slip or stumble on deck, the boat skids and you fall overboard. Man overboard is one of the most serious emergencies that can happen on board a yacht. If the other crew members do not immediately raise the alarm and the helmsman does not promptly manoeuvre to recover, there can be serious trouble. If the accident then occurs at night, with the associated visibility problems, the situation can become even more serious.
When did it happen?
It happened last 2 December during the Arc 2024, an Atlantic flotilla rally. The rally usually takes place on a 2,700-mile route from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. At 2.27 a.m., in the middle of the night, Dag Eresund, a 33-year-old Swedish sailor who was on board the Vor 70 ‘Ocean Breeze’, fell overboard in the middle of the Atlantic. At the time of the accident Dag was wearing a self-inflating life jacket with a personal Ais locator. The boat crew immediately raised the alarm, but in the darkness they were unable to locate him. The rescue machine itself, operated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Norfolk, USA, is still engaged in ‘Search and Rescue’ operations, but to no avail.
So let’s take a look in this article at how to prevent a yacht crew member from falling overboard. We will also look at what both current legislation and the practice followed by sailing professionals say about it. As well as how to handle this type of emergency, including rescue operations.
First rule to avoid man overboard: always wear a seat belt
The experience of losing a man at sea according to boating accident statistics is fortunately quite rare.However, it remains a real possibility when sailing and one must be aware of it.Often yachtsmen think that this is an occurrence confined to bad weather conditions or with the boat driven to its limit. In reality, even during normal sailing a snag or a mistake is always possible.
As always, what counts at sea is prevention. A good skipper must prevent this type of accident from happening. Firstly by organising a briefing to pass on some basic safety notions to the crew. These include, for example, the obligation to always wear shoes when manoeuvring on deck (hoisting the sails, operating the anchor windlass, etc.) or walking while bending the knees when the boat is heeling, or keeping the deck clear of unnecessary objects and equipment. And then, above all, the most important rule of all, which is to wear a safety belt fastened to the jack line during night watches or in bad weather. This is in fact the only device that materially prevents people from falling into the water and prevents this type of emergency.
It is no coincidence that the new implementing regulation of the Nautical Code (Decree No. 133 of 17 September 2024), which came into force in Italy on 21 October 2024, makes it compulsory for all sailing vessels sailing more than 12 miles from the coast to carry a safety belt approved in accordance with ISO standards and CE certified. A law that brings Italy in line with international standards.
To read an article about rescue at sea from The Marine Blog, click HERE!
Useful devices for the man overboard: lifebuoy and automatic light
If, in spite of all the precautions put in place during navigation, a crew member still falls overboard and there is a man overboard situation, there are some basic devices that increase the chances of survival, location and recovery of the castaway. First is the lifejacket, preferably self-inflating and with a good buoyancy capacity (150 Newtons and up). Some lifejacket models also have what is known as a “sprayhood”, i.e. a hood with a transparent visor that avoids breathing and swallowing water spray due to wind and breakers.
Another very important element, especially if the accident happens at night, is that the lifejacket is equipped with an automatically activated light. This light source could in fact prove decisive in locating the drifting castaway.
Another device that increases a shipwrecked person’s chances of being located is the IOR pole. This is a pole with a flag on top. The pole can remain upright when in the water, thus facilitating the search for the person at sea. The IOR pole can be directly attached to the lifebuoy and in most cases the flag on its top is yellow or red.
Locating the castaway thanks to radar and satellites
Still on the subject of locating a man overboard, it is technology that helps boaters deal with this type of emergency. In particular, there are two devices that could really make a difference in ‘Search and Rescue’ operations. The first is the PLB which stands for “Personal Locator Beacon”. An individual satellite locator that can be detected anywhere in the world and that fits into a safety vest or a trench coat pocket. The main charactristics are that it is waterproof and powered by a lithium battery that gives it a 24-hour autonomy. It is always activated manually by pulling out the built-in antenna and pressing the power button. Once activated, the Plb emits highly visible flashes over long distances and even in daylight.
Just as useful can be an Ais locator, which is what Dag Eresund had. It is a small device designed to help find a person who has accidentally fallen overboard. It uses the Ais automatic identification system used to track vessel traffic in order to avoid collisions at sea. Once activated, the Ais locator transmits for at least 24 hours a radio alarm signal on the VHF band (channel 87b and 88b) that can be viewed by all ships within a 4-7 mile radius equipped with a receiver compatible with the same technology. This alarm can be intercepted with a specific AIS receiver, but also from the boat’s chartplotter itself or from a personal computer, or even from the digital screen of a Vhf radio or tablet, if fitted.
What to do immediately: visual search
The moment a crew member falls overboard, it is essential for the boat’s crew to know that the main thing is not to lose sight of the casualty. In addition to raising the alarm immediately, it is essential to assign someone to locate them in the water. As well as to never let them out of sight by telling the helmsman the position of the survivor in relation to the boat.
It is not a trivial task: seeing a man at sea even in the absence of a wave and at close range is not easy. With waves of just 40 centimetres and sustained wind it can be even more difficult. At night, it is practically impossible.
React immediately and take advantage of the boat: recovery manoeuvres
If the shipwrecked person is spotted, there are several types of manoeuvres that, according to seamen’s practice, can be put in place to recover him safely. The classic man overboard recovery manoeuvre involves, after starting the engine, immediately putting the rudder on the side where the survivor is falling. Then throwing a ring lifebuoy (at night, even a light buoy), calling the crew on deck, and when the hull has turned around 70 degrees, reversing the rudder until it takes the opposite course to the initial one. Proceeding in this way, the hull will describe a complete arc (Williamson curve) until it returns to the vicinity of the shipwreck. It will be approached to leeward, putting the engine in neutral on arrival.
In the case of a recovery under sail, on the other hand, one must immediately put to the beam, call the crew on deck, gybe and return towards the shipwreck, still to the beam, hemming towards him to get very close, with the bow to the wind and the boat almost stationary.
Isaf, the International Sailing Association, recommends a much quicker manoeuvre, which, firstly, involves heaving immediately to put the bow to the wind to slow the boat down. Next tacking with the jib at the neck, furling or lowering it immediately afterwards and, with only the mainsail, completing the turn in the vicinity of the castaway. After, jibing when he is just aft of the beam and heaving back towards him. With the goal to get very close with the bow to the wind and almost stationary.
Shipwrecked awake man overboard and reactive or unconscious
It is up to the skipper to decide which manoeuvre to perform. Normally it is based on the context, the people on board, the psychological state of the person who has fallen into the water, their physical condition and the weather. If the sea is calm and the castaway is conscious, the situation can be resolved quickly. Usually the man somehow climbs aboard, even more simply from the stern ladder. The most dramatic and complex case is when he loses consciousness due to a collision. In this case it is necessary for a member of the crew, equipped with a vest or a ring, to jump into the water to support his companion. Meanwhile waiting for the boat to arrive.
Once the man has been docked, the most practical way to bring him back on board is to quickly throw the tender into the water and push the castaway into it. You can also use a rope and pass it under the armpits of the victim. However, the ideal is to have a recovery belt on board. The belt, once passed around the man, is hooked to a halyard with which a winch can be used to hoist the accident victim back on board.
The rescue machine: alarm, location, retrieval
Of course, in the event of a man overboard, it is absolutely crucial to raise the alarm and activate external help. It is especially important when contact is lost with the survivor. The emergency can be communicated by radio to the Coast Guard or the maritime authorities. They, in return, set in motion the search by means of naval and aerial units, such as the use of helicopters equipped for recovery and on-board medical assistance. Depending on the distance from the coast, it may also be necessary to involve units already in the area or other ships. Or also private yachts that can change course and reach the accident site.
Timing analysis, as well as the study of the weather, wind and currents in action, can help in the operations to locate the castaway. But also the Gps position possibly activated by personal satellite tracking devices. In emergencies of this type, the speed of intervention is crucial. The more time passes, the more the chances of survival of those in the water gradually diminish. Usually it is due to emotional shock, the temperature of the water, the presence of any high waves or dangerous animals, such as sharks or jellyfish.
In short, accidental falling overboard when sailing on a yacht is a serious emergency and must be prevented by all means. It is no coincidence that recent Italian legislation has just introduced the obligation to carry a safety belt on board. It is usually an addition to the traditional lifejacket. Moreover, the man overboard recovery manoeuvre has always been part of the examination programme for obtaining a boating licence. One has to know it and practise it systematically, just as professional sailors do.
