What Happens if Someone Goes Overboard on a Cruise Ship?

By Michael Ferguson

Passengers of a cruise ship should never go overboard. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for accidents to happen, and in some cases, people have gone overboard on a cruise ship. If a person goes overboard on a cruise ship, the result can be devastating.

If someone goes overboard on a cruise ship, the crew onboard will immediately launch into emergency procedures. Depending on the size of the vessel, they may or may not have enough resources to effectively search for the missing person. If they do have enough resources available, they’ll initiate an immediate search-and-rescue operation.

The first step will be to deploy any nearby lifeboats and manned vessels to look for signs of the missing person in the water. If there are no lifeboats available, crew members may jump into the water with life jackets and rescue devices to search for them. Additionally, if there is access to advanced technology such as drones or sonar devices, these can also be used in the search efforts.

The hope is that the missing person is found alive and well and can be brought back onboard safely. However, depending on how long they were in the water and how far away from shore they were when they went overboard, this isn’t always possible. In some cases, it could take days or even weeks before their body is recovered.

Conclusion:

If someone goes overboard on a cruise ship, it can be a devastating outcome. The crew onboard will initiate an immediate search-and-rescue operation with lifeboats and manned vessels searching for signs of the missing person in the water.

Advanced technology such as drones or sonar devices may also be used in order to find them quickly. Unfortunately, in some cases it could take days or even weeks before their body is recovered.