BOATsmart! USA Knowledge Base

Module 06 - Other Water Activities Emergency Preparation

How to Rescue a Person Overboard

STEP 1: Immediately throw the person a bright, buoyant item such as a life ring or lifejacket. This will keep them afloat, increase their visibility in the water and mark their position if they submerge.

STEP 2: Assign another passenger to watch the person in the water and to continuously point to their location in the water.

STEP 3: Carefully angle the boat into rescue position—turn the bow into the wind and in a downwind position from the victim. This way, the person will drift toward your boat.

STEP 4: Once you’re in rescue position, shut down the engine to avoid accidental movement and injury (such as a propeller strike).

Then, use one of the following overboard rescue techniques to recover the person overboard:

Use a reaching assist:

Move to the side of the boat and keep your weight low.
Use the reaching assist to pull the victim to the side of the boat and then assist them back into the boat.

Use a buoyant heaving line:

Throw the buoyant heaving line so that it lands behind the victim.
Slowly pull the line toward you so the victim can grab onto it.
Pull the victim to the side of the boat and then assist them back into the boat.

Use a life ring:

Make sure the life ring is secured to the boat with a line.
Throw the life ring so that it lands behind the victim.
Slowly pull the line toward you so the victim can grab onto it.
Pull the victim to the side of the boat and assist them back into the boat.

Never jump into the water to rescue a person who has fallen overboard. If they’re panicking and thrashing around in the water, they could pull you under.