Person overboard: what to do

Last verified: 14 October 2026

Step by step

1. Shout and point

   Shout “Man overboard!” so everyone on board knows. Give one person the only job of pointing at the person in the water and never looking away.[1][2][3][4]

2. Throw something that floats

   Throw a lifebuoy, throw line or lifejacket as close to them as you can. It helps them stay afloat and marks where they are.[5][6]

3. Press MOB

   Press the MOB button on your chart plotter or GPS to mark the position where they went in.[5]

4. Send a MAYDAY

   Press and hold the DSC distress button, then make a MAYDAY call on VHF channel 16. Say that a person is overboard, give your position and how many people are on board.[7][8][9][10]

5. Slow down and turn back

   Slow down, stop if you can, and turn back as soon as you are able. Keep watching the person the whole time.[11][12][13]

6. Choose how to return

   Transport Canada describes two turns for powerboats: the Anderson (single) turn, fastest, for calm water and good visibility; and the Williamson turn, for when you reacted late or visibility is poor. Go slowly and keep the propeller far away from the person.[14][15][16]

7. Come alongside in neutral

   Stop alongside the person with the engine in neutral. Transport Canada advises bringing the boat upwind of them and recovering them on the windward side.[17][18]

8. Get them back on board

   Bring them to the boat with a floating line or a lifebuoy tied to the boat. Use a ladder or lifting sling to get them out. Do not go into the water after them.[18][19][20]

9. Warm them and get medical help

   Anyone pulled from cold water may have hypothermia, which is a medical emergency. Get them sheltered, remove wet clothing and wrap them up with the head covered, and tell the rescue service.[21][22]

Don't

• Don't jump in after them. Throw something that floats and work from the boat.[20][6]
• Don't take your eyes off the person. It is easy to lose sight of someone in the water.[13]
• Don't come close with the propeller turning. Put the engine in neutral when you are alongside.[12][17]
• Don't warm a cold casualty with a hot bath or hot water bottle, and don't rub their arms and legs.[23]

Before you sail

• Before you sail: brief your crew on the man overboard routine and how to call for help, and choose a second in command who can drive the boat and use the radio.[24]
• Wear your lifejacket. In rough weather, think about a harness and safety line attached to the boat.[25][26]
• If your boat has a kill cord, check that it works before you set off.[27]
• Plan how you would get someone back on board, for example a ladder or lifting sling.[28][19]

Frequently asked

Sources

1. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “Shout loudly, to make sure everyone knows that someone’s gone overboard”
2. Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) (2026-10-14): “Yell “man overboard, man overboard””
3. Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) (2026-10-14): “Point to casualty, keep pointing”
4. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “assign one person to constantly watch the person in the water”
5. RNLI (2026-10-14): “Throw a flotation aid. Point to the person in the water while maintaining visual contact with them. Mark the position using the MOB button on the chart plotter.”
6. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “Throw a life buoy, line or lifejacket as close as you can to the person, not only to help them stay afloat but also to mark their position”
7. RNLI (2026-10-14): “Send a distress message using the DSC distress alert and voice message. Recover the person from the water.”
8. RNLI (2026-10-14): “If your radio is equipped with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) press and hold the Distress Alert button(s) until the transmission sends. Set the VHF Radio to Channel 16, High Power.”
9. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “A distress/Mayday call is used to indicate that a boat or person is threatened by grave and imminent danger and requires immediate assistance - for example, a boat taking on water, a vessel on fire, a person overboard or a serious medical emergency such as a heart attack.”
10. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (HM Coastguard) (2026-10-14): “Only to be used in the event of grave and imminent danger and assistance is required. Send a distress alert using digital selective calling (DSC), (press and hold the button until the alert is sent).”
11. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “slow down and stop (if possible)”
12. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “Stop the boat and turn back as soon as you’re able. Remember that the prop is always a danger to anyone in the water, so take care as you approach them.”
13. Coastguard New Zealand (2026-10-14): “Watch the person carefully – it’s easy to lose sight of someone in the water, so don’t take your eyes off them!”
14. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “The Anderson Turn (or single turn) is the fastest method. It brings the boat back to a position it previously passed. It’s a good option to use in calm water with good visibility.”
15. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “The Williamson Turn is used when response is delayed or in poor visibility ( at night, in wavy conditions, etc.). It can be used in most situations.”
16. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “keep the propeller far away from them”
17. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “Bring the boat upwind of the person Stop alongside, put the engine in neutral and keep the person well away from the propellers”
18. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “use a heavy line that floats, or a lifebuoy secured to the boat with a line to recover the person. Always bring the person back into the boat on the windward side”
19. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “Consider adding lifting slings and riggings to make it easier to remove a person from the water if it’s not part of your required safety equipment.”
20. Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) (2026-10-14): “Do not enter the water to retrieve the casualty”
21. NHS (2026-10-14): “Hypothermia is a dangerous drop in body temperature below 35C (normal body temperature is around 37C). It's a medical emergency that needs to be treated in hospital.”
22. NHS (2026-10-14): “remove any wet clothing, wrap them in a blanket, sleeping bag or dry towel, making sure their head is covered”
23. NHS (2026-10-14): “do not use a hot bath, hot water bottle or heat lamp to warm them up do not rub their arms, legs, feet or hands”
24. RNLI (2026-10-14): “Discuss man overboard procedures and how to call for help. Identify a second in command and ensure they know how to call for help and operate the engine.”
25. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “always wear your Canadian-approved lifejacket or PFD”
26. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “In certain weather, and on some boats, it’s a good idea to wear a quick release safety harness and safety lines secured to your boat.”
27. RNLI (2026-10-14): “Check the kill cord is working if fitted.”
28. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “Also consider how you or someone else can get back into your boat. Could you get out of the water with no help from others? Could you and your guests lift someone out of the water safely?”
29. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “The 1-10-1 Principle is a simple way to remember the stages of cold-water immersion and how long each one lasts.”
30. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “It can take an hour to go unconscious from hypothermia, even in ice water.”
31. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “Wearing your lifejacket during this stage will keep you afloat, with your mouth and nose out of the water, so you can focus on your breathing.”
32. RNLI (2026-10-14): “Take a minute. The initial effects of cold water pass in less than a minute so don’t try to swim straight away.”
33. RNLI (2026-10-14): “The best way to float is to tilt your head back with your ears submerged. Try to relax and breathe normally.”
34. U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety – A Boater’s Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2026-10-14): “If you are wearing a PFD, keep it on.”
35. U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety – A Boater’s Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2026-10-14): “Cold Shock: an initial deep and sudden gasp followed by hyperventilation. Cold shock will pass in about one minute.”
36. RNLI (2026-10-14): “When in cold water (anything below 15°C), your body can go into cold water shock.”
37. Transport Canada – Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026) (2026-10-14): “About 94% of Canadian boaters who drown were in water less than 20C.”

More emergency guides

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