How many people actually fall overboard each year?

[zboss]

I am curious if this is a common occurrence given the given the amount of discussion regarding the importance of staying on board and the various training and mechanisms available to keep you on board...

Has anybody been successfully retrieved from a long distance from the boat? For example, if one person was on watch and the boat kept going a good two or three hours before the other watchperson came on.

[jackdale]

From 2011 USCG Boating Accident Stats

Falls Overboard
359 Total
205 Deaths
157 Injuries
http://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/...ations/557.PDF

[Travelnik]

Originally Posted by jackdale

From 2011 USCG Boating Accident Stats

Falls Overboard
359 Total
205 Deaths
157 Injuries
http://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/...ations/557.PDF

That really sucks...they can't add!

157+205=362

Thanks for posting the info though.

[zboss]

Thanks for the response! I should have qualified my question a bit more... on passages overnight or longer. For example, during the California to Hawaii run.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by dsmastern

That really sucks...they can't add!

157+205=362

Thanks for posting the info though.

Sorry.

357 accidents (more than one fell over in a couple of instances)

[Knowazark]

Originally Posted by dsmastern

That really sucks...they can't add!

157+205=362

Thanks for posting the info though.

Ah, but 3 people ended up both dead and injured.

So does everyone who falls overboard get classified as injured if they don't die, or is it only injury incidents that are reported?

[Travelnik]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Sorry.

357 accidents (more than one fell over in a couple of instances)

Not your mistake. Typical government counting!

If it's below the Trillion mark, they don't care too much!

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by zboss

Thanks for the response! I should have qualified my question a bit more... on passages overnight or longer. For example, during the California to Hawaii run.

If you are concerned about sailboats the percentages are very small. 1% of deaths in 2011. Open powerboats represent about 50%.

Lots of hats go overboard, though.

[oldragbaggers]

One is too many if it is someone you knew and cared about. We lost a friend, only a casual friend, but the fact that we knew him personally instead of him just being part of a statistic, drove the point home for us. This was back in the 80's and he was part of a delivery crew bringing a yacht from Tahiti to Hawaii. He was on the night watch and when his relief went out in the morning he was just gone. No one heard anything, no idea how long he had been overboard. His body was never found. His wife had to wait years for him to be declared officially dead so she could even begin to settle their affairs. He was a very accomplished sailor, used to be the dockmaster at the Navy Sailing facility in Pearl Harbor. He had been crewing on yacht deliveries professionally for many years and had all the appropriate licenses.

Take every precaution when in adverse conditions, or when standing watch alone, especially at night. It's just not worth the possible consequences of not doing it.

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Lots of hats go overboard, though.

Lance and I never leave a hat behind. We always treat them as a man overboard drill. It's great practice.

[micah719]

Interesting stats. Most likely to die drunk on a calm afternoon on a long weekend, in (or near) a small fibreglass motorboat. Moral of the story.....stay sober, sail a comfortably large stout boat that you can fix, don't gamble everything on one bit of equipment, and never trust the weather.

If you really must carry out scheduled quality-testing of ship's essential stores, stay tethered, at anchor in warm water, and use a bucket for decanting metabolised by-products.

If you are over 12 years of age and operating an open fibreglass motorboat on a long weekend, on a fine day, and intending on imbibing fermented malt/hops beverages, just face it; you will die. Mind you, you'd have karked it at home or on the freeway anyway, so good on you for levering your stern off the couch, parking the car, and having the decency to depart this world from more pleasant surrounds. Can I have your fishing gear?

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by micah719

Interesting stats. Most likely to die drunk on a calm afternoon on a long weekend, in (or near) a small fibreglass motorboat. Moral of the story.....stay sober, sail a comfortably large stout boat that you can fix, don't gamble everything on one bit of equipment, and never trust the weather.

If you really must carry out scheduled quality-testing of ship's essential stores, stay tethered, at anchor in warm water, and use a bucket for decanting metabolised by-products.

If you are over 12 years of age and operating an open fibreglass motorboat on a long weekend, on a fine day, and intending on imbibing fermented malt/hops beverages, just face it; you will die. Mind you, you'd have karked it at home or on the freeway anyway, so good on you for levering your stern off the couch, parking the car, and having the decency to depart this world from more pleasant surrounds. Can I have your fishing gear?

That's just wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start.....

[Kenomac]

I'm not sure what the precise point of this thread is?

I can tell you from my own personal experience... on that beautiful sunny winter day two years ago, perfect sailing weather (20 knots of wind) two miles off of Long Beach Harbor in California whilst sailing our 45 ft Hunter under full sail, along with a yacht broker and his dog... the last thing on my mind was the dog falling overboard, then the broker immediately jumping in after him fully clothed without a life jacket... leaving me alone to rescue both of them. Lucky for them, I knew what to do and had both of them back on board within 3-4 minutes.

My point: It doesn't matter how often it happens.... it (S%#T) happens and you need to be prepared at all times for the possibility. Never, ever underestimate other people's stupidity or clumsiness.

Get a lifesling and learn how to use it. Insist on passengers wearing PFDs & wear one yourself as an example, and develop a MOB rescue plan and practice it. Dogs need to wear pfds and be tethered.

[micah719]

Guess who's been in the spraybooth all day......wheeeeeee!

[sailorboy1]

I doubt that most people who go overboard did so when they planned to do so (no harness on etc).

I doubt that people who go overboard and are quickly recovered get reported to the CG so their statistics I'm sure are way less that the real world.

I would bet a fair number of people who lose their hats while out on the deck....go overboard trying to catch it!