What If You Fell off a Cruise Ship

If you've reached the top of a Ferris wheel, that dizzying fear of accidentally falling may come to mind. But on a

cruise

? Hey, these things can be taller than the Eiffel Tower! So it's not so surprising if you're standing there admiring the views and wondering... What happens if you fall overboard? In August 2018, a woman from the United Kingdom was sailing in the Adriatic Sea. It doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary, just the perfect open water summer vacation! The Norwegian Star

cruise

ship

was headed to Venice, Italy, after departing from Vargarola, Croatia. The woman was on the seventh deck when, shortly before midnight, she

fell

off the back of the boat!

It occurred about 60 miles off the coast of a city called Pula. Too far to call for help... As soon as the crew learned of the incident, they launched a major search and rescue operation. They checked the CCTV cameras on board to find out exactly when the fall occurred. That way, they could determine the precise location of the

ship

at that time. The liner also contacted authorities, who sent a patrol boat, a plane and two rescue boats to search for the woman. The search lasted all night. The sun came out and they still couldn't find her anywhere.

But then, around 9:30 a.m. m., they saw a figure in the distance. Could it be her? When they got closer, she must have seen them too because she started waving her hands. When the rescue boat finally reached her, it was clear that the woman was exhausted, cold and in slight shock. But she looked pretty good for someone who had spent the last 10 hours floating in the sea and waiting for help! She was found approximately 1 mile from where she had fallen. The rescue team took her directly to the hospital. After doing all the necessary checks, she was released with a lot of story to tell!

Well, is that the typical situation where someone crosses the line? Sadly not. The chances of surviving such a big fall and then spending the night in the middle of the ocean are slim, to say the least. But this woman had several factors in her favor. She worked as a flight attendant, so she probably knew more than the average person

what

to do during an emergency. In one of her interviews she explained that she tried to stay calm and sang throughout the night to stay warm. She was also a very fit person, so she could stay afloat.

The good thing is that falling overboard is not something she needs to worry about if she has booked a cruise or she would like to do so in the future. Most boats don't run into these types of problems, and if they do, it's incredibly rare. The Cruise Lines International Association says this kind of thing happens only once for every 1.3 million passengers. If it makes you feel better, you're more likely to catch a cold or flu on the boat! But in those few cases where a person overdoes it,

what

does that play-by-play look like? Well, a lot depends on eyewitnesses.

If they can report it to the crew immediately, then that is the ideal situation. But no matter when they find out, an emergency protocol always follows. First, the bridge (which is the captain's quarters) is notified. They will usually stop the boat immediately and probably even turn around. The bridge will also inform the authorities and alert the coast guard to send rescue boats and helicopters or small planes. While all of that is happening, emergency team members are gathering to find where the person

fell

. They throw life preservers overboard to ensure the individual has a flotation device while awaiting rescue.

Those life preservers could be a life jacket and one of those orange buoys you see attached to the deck railings. Staying afloat in deep water is difficult and exhausting, which is why these devices can make all the difference. Again, if the crew knows about the incident from the beginning and the ship has not traveled much distance in that time, they will release the lifeboats immediately. Otherwise, search and rescue operations continue until the person who fell into the water is located. However, time is of the essence. It is not easy to face the vast and hostile waters of the deep sea.

If no one sees the person fall and only later realizes that she is missing, then the chances of a successful rescue are not good: only 10 to 15%. Why so low? For one thing, the ocean is really big! Finding a human floating among all that infinite blue is not an easy task. And it's not that the sea is impeccable, far from it. There could be floating debris and trash that could fool rescuers. There is also the difficult task of staying afloat so rescuers can see you in the first place. Imagine having to continually move your arms and legs to keep all of your body weight close to the surface so that your head is above it!

There is no ground under your feet: you have to hold on. Now imagine doing that with an injury. If you fall from a considerable height, you risk breaking your bones when you hit the water. How is that? Because water feels like cement when you fall from above! Remember that whole thing about some cruise ships being taller than the Eiffel Tower? Yes, that's a tremendously large height, okay! You may also become out of breath... or worse. Water temperature can also be a deciding factor. When someone falls into cold water, they automatically go into a Cold Shock Response.

By instinct, they try to inhale air while underwater. And let's not forget the risk of hypothermia. When the water is about 40°F, a person only has 60 minutes before their body becomes too cold. If there are 50, that time is doubled. At 60° it triples and so on. Basically, if you're going to fall, do it in tropical waters. Or, you know, don't fall at all... If you're looking for that last piece of advice, then the odds are in your favor. Modern cruise ships are the safest they have ever been, and they have many ways to prevent this from happening in the first place.

Those preventative measures include increasing railings around decks and making those barriers higher so people can't fall over them. And recently, some next-generation detection systems, such as motion sensors, radars, and tracking devices, have appeared to add even more protection. Simply put, it's not too late for that: the measures they take to prevent people from spilling overboard make boating one of the safest ways to travel. Therefore, there is no need to cancel your long-awaited Caribbean cruise! But I know what you're thinking because I'm a Plan-B guy too. JUST in case worst comes to worst and you accidentally fall while looking over the railing in awe at how big this boat is, here's what you need to do to survive: - Stay afloat. “Oh, really, Bright Side?

I was planning on growing gills…” Ok, okay, he took me there. Staying afloat is a lot easier when you have something to hold onto, but I guess you didn't have time to grab that buoy when you fell overboard. Then, fill your lungs with air and lie on your back with your arms and legs extended. Move them slowly to stay afloat. This position also helps rescuers spot you more easily. There is another technique they learn in the US Navy. It is called drown proofing and it is for rough waters. You stretch your body but face down and raise your head to take a breath. - Keep your shirt on.

Not really. Being in the middle of the ocean, you are prone to sunburn and heat stroke. So keep your clothes on: they will protect you. - Do not drink sea water. You will surely be thirsty. But the high concentration of salt in ocean water is toxic to humans. Generally, we can consume small amounts of salt water, but the body cannot process larger amounts. In other words, it is the LAST resort. Like that dilapidated hotel at the end of the island. THE last resort? It doesn't matter. - Stay still. The first instinct you will probably have will be to swim towards the ship.

The problem is that it is more difficult to identify distances at sea, which means that you will probably misjudge the distance to the boat and get tired swimming in vain. Also, the rescue team will start looking for you at the place where you fell. Don't leave that place! - Keep calm. It's easier said than done, but you MUST conserve your energy. Panic does the opposite: it wears you down faster and clouds your thinking. Just stay calm, stay positive, and wait for help to arrive; They are coming, don't worry! And hey, once you're rescued, you can sign up for the Last Resort.

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