By Very few people have survived falling off a cruise ship.
The biggest challenge is staying afloat. You also have to deal with sea creatures, blazing sun, and rough water. You can get hypothermia and dehydration. And it’s impossible to get help for a long time.
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Falling off a cruise ship: Key insights and procedures
- According to a study by G.P. Wild (International) Limited, the survival rate of falling off a cruise ship is only 28.2%.
- Falling off cruise ships happens due to accidents. Intoxication, climbing railings, and suicides are the most common causes of such accidents.
- Jumping off a cruise ship is illegal.
- “Oscar” or “Mob” are the codes used to alert everyone when a passenger falls overboard.
- When a person falls off a cruise ship, the ship turns back and deploys search and rescue operations. This often involves nearby ships and the Coast Guard.
- Cruise ships do get delayed due to the time-consuming search and rescue operations.
- Regular onboard activities are not canceled when a person goes overboard.
- A cruise ship will assist the family of the person who falls overboard to return home. They also notify the emergency contacts.
- The Coast Guard and the local authorities will investigate the incident. In the case of US citizens, the matter gets reported to the FBI.
- You will not receive a refund if someone falls overboard unless there is a change to the itinerary.
What you should do to not fall off a cruise ship?
To not fall off a cruise ship, you should –
- Stay away from the railings, whether on the balcony or on the decks.
- If you are on rough seas, do not go to the balcony or decks.
- If you are in trouble with another passenger, notify a crew member.
- Do not drink too much.
What happens if you fall off a cruise ship at night?
If you fall off a cruise ship at night, the methods suggested by survival experts are the same as they would for the day.
Here are the survival tactics:
- Do not panic: By panicking, you gasp for air. This gets water to your lungs, thereby damaging them.
- Stay afloat: First, try swimming or treading the water for a while. Then try to find something you can hold onto to help yourself float on the water. Take off your clothes to make it easier to float.
- Make a pile: Find some pieces of bamboo, wood, or something that will help you to make a pile or raft. Climbing on that will save you from predators at sea.
- Signal: If you find floating garbage, collect it and try to create a large pile. The Coast Guard may spot floating devices using their systems and find you.
Tips on surviving falling off a cruise ship
You have a very slim chance of surviving, if you fall off a cruise ship.
But, if such accidents happen you can try these methods:
- Do not panic and get water into your lungs.
- Try to float by swimming or treading the water.
- Find something floating around that you can hold and stay afloat.
- Gather more such garbage to make a pile and climb upon it.
- Gather more and more garbage to make the pile bigger.
- Wait for the nearby ships or the Coast Guard to find you.
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