What Justifies a "MAYDAY"?

[carstenb]

Setting off a EPIRB is a "Mayday" call. It will set everything possible in motion. It is one-way communication.

Broken legs? Unless the person is in serious need of attention (compound fracture/extensive bleeding that perhaps might lead to him bleeding to death) then a pan-pan should be used. (and yes I've had many broken bones, legs, hip, ribs, collar bones wrist etc so I know just how painfull it is).

#Mayday" means imminent danger of death either through a medical emergency or danger that the boat will be lost.

Pan-pan is an urgency signal and will get you directed to medical attention.

I'm surprised no one here has mentioned "Radio Medical". A call on your SSB or VHF (assuming you are in VHF range) will get you straight through to competent medical advice - who will help you determine if evacuation is necessary.

[Jammer Six]

Originally Posted by carstenb

I'm surprised no one here has mentioned "Radio Medical". A call on your SSB or VHF (assuming you are in VHF range) will get you straight through to competent medical advice - who will help you determine if evacuation is necessary.

Funny, that's exactly what a mayday does.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Jammer Six

Funny, that's exactly what a mayday does.

uuh, actually "Radio Medical" is set up so you do not need to issue a "Mayday". You can get directly in touch with Medical assistance 24/7.

Sol before pushing the big red button and setting heaven and earth in movement - it might be a good idea to contact them.

Better idea is to get some GMDSS training - that way you will learn how and when to use your radio for assistance.

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I say that not to be snotty - but if you have a radio, be it SSB or VHF, you should learn how and when to use it. And as is apparent from the many differing answers on this thread - not everyone does.

And by the way, I have a VHF, Long Range Certificate and Ham radio license

carsten

[Derek Lumb]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

The taught response on this side of the pond is

Mayday : Grave AND imminent danger, i.e. its serious and its happening NOW.
Not just serious but life threatening

PAN PAN: Grave OR imminent danger, i.e. , its serious or its might happen soon.

BUT, be very clear. Its solely up to you to decide. If you are in doubt , then its a MAYDAY.



as for your examples, 1= mayday for the heart attack, normally pan pan for the others if in range or a Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre - you will still get rapid help but it needs to be specialist help, Dr or paramedic not every vessel in the area unless you are out in the Ocean when yes Mayday. , 2 = pan pan, 3 = your call definitely pan pan - the threat is not immediate, 4 =mayday or pan pan, hard to quantify but fire can spread very rapidly on a fibreglass boat.


Note the response to Mayday and PAN PAN, may in fact be identical and in most modern 1st world SAR situations, there is very little difference. under GMDSS, your responsibility is to get the MAYDAY to the shore station ( as is others responsibility). Then the shore co-ordination will decide what assets are best deployed to help you. The main difference is that Mayday will shut down channel 16 to all other traffic until the situation is resolved "Silonce Mayday"- Pan Pan gives you priority over all other traffic but won't lead to a prolonged blackout.

Its solely up to you to decide what call to make ( if any). SAR authorities would prefer you called sooner and were proven wrong, then call later and your proven dead. Definitely - searching for bodies is no fun.



dave

One consideration from all this is how you would deal with the situation and put out the Mayday. This is particularly a problem with couples sailing on their own if one falls overboard. As a one time Lifeboat Operations Manager in my opinion this is a Mayday but calling it can be a problem - you don't want to loses site of the casualty. My solution on my boat was to install a second handset at the steering position. This can also be useful in a fire where you can call for help away from the smoke and with a quick escape even, if it is only jumping overboard.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

But I wouldn't be calling a mayday in any other circumstance of a broken leg.

At 86 Mark wasn't talking about a broken leg....
he said 'Sure as hell, if you are on my boat and break you leg off I will call a MAYDAY.'

You can fix a broken leg with a bit of sail batten and some duct tape.... a missing limb is a bit harder......

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by carstenb

........... get some GMDSS training - that way you will learn how and when to use your radio for assistance.

Global Maritime Distress and Safety System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I say that not to be snotty - but if you have.....

I'd be a bit wary of using Wiki as a source.... when I looked at the wiki entry for 'mayday' I found this ..
'Before the voice call "Mayday", SOS was the Morse code equivalent of the Mayday call. In 1927, the International Radiotelegraph Convention of Washington adopted the voice call Mayday in place of the SOS Morse Code call.'
Mayday - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

No it didn't, it simply supplemented it.... mayday for R/T... SOS for W/T

[roland stockham]

Best advice I have had is from the UK lifeboat service - If the situation is beyond your skill and experience and you can't cope call for help. In other words it is not the situation but the resources on the boat. What would be a difficult but solvable situation for one boat and crew can easily be a mayday for another less prepared and experience crew. Life is usually threatened because the crew, not the boat, is overwhelmed. That why it is kept vauge because nobody else can judge before or after the event if you can (or should be able) to cope, it's your call, how much help do you want?

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Carsten,

AFAIK, in Australia, where we are now, there isn't the radio medical advice option. You might be able to set up something like that, though, through a request to one of the coastal VMR (Volunteer Marine Rescue) stations, but it would be on a case by case basis and depend on their having the medical personnel lined up for the service. Just a service not available here, generally speaking. Which is why no one from here mentioned it.

The maritime mobile service nets can sometimes set you up with phone patches to doctors, too. Unfortunately, there are few doctors in the States who are interested to try and diagnose people they can't see, just doing it over the air; of course there are many reasons for this.

Ann

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

At 86 Mark wasn't talking about a broken leg....
he said 'Sure as hell, if you are on my boat and break you leg off I will call a MAYDAY.'

You can fix a broken leg with a bit of sail batten and some duct tape.... a missing limb is a bit harder......

Thanks for reading that line correctly, Pinguino


I find it ridiculous that people could suggest a crew member with a serious injury in an area close enough for a rescue service to not use the MOST expedient method to call for help.

So after the crew is finally out of the hospital following your Pan Pan to their serious injury do you think they are gunna come sailing with you again? Or even speak to you again?

What about it was your Mum (Mom, for Americans) who falls down the companionway and ends up a bloody mess at the bottom of the stairs. are you going so say "Don't worry Mum, you don't qualify for a high emergency, I'll just call Pan Pan". like how long till you get written out of the will??

These days Pan Pan is used for regular shipping warnings, for example a bouy thats moved in the last storm, or when the Coast Guard is looking for somone an want all sips to keep a look out. No oe expects a Pan Pan to be medical anymore, unless its a broken finger nail on a Hollywood starlett.

Just call Mayday and get your casualty is hospital ASAP.

[shufti]

These days Pan Pan is used for regular shipping warnings, for example a bouy thats moved in the last storm, or when the Coast Guard is looking for somone an want all sips to keep a look out.

That would be a 'securitay' down here.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by shufti

That would be a 'securitay' down here.

Securitay used for weather here, USA, Europe.

[shufti]

Yes, also used for weather warnings here.

[Jammer Six]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I find it ridiculous that people could suggest a crew member with a serious injury in an area close enough for a rescue service to not use the MOST expedient method to call for help.

I'm glad there's someone else here with some semblance of common sense.

If I fall down the companionway, break my leg and the skipper won't call a mayday in, well, I have my own handheld.

[s/v Beth]

Everyone wants to call Mayday just to be sure. Maybe you could clear up a notion I have then. I was told that if a Mayday or EPIRB is activated, when the coast guard or some other large ship shows up, that they can constrain all on board to leave the boat, and sink it if it is a hazard to navigation. That is not an option if you just call the CG and tell them of your situation and ask to have one man evacuated.
Is this true? I have heard it more than once, and I prefer to keep the boat I have, thank you, even in the middle of a storm. Of course the health of the crew comes first, but I have found that the CG is willing to evac a person and still let the sailboat make it to port.

[Jammer Six]

I've heard that if you call mayday, the Coast Guard will sprinkle you with pixie dust and make everything better.

We must have been talking to the same guy.