What Happens to You if You Fall Off a Cruise Ship?

By Anna Duncan

Falling off a cruise ship is a situation no one wants to find themselves in, yet it does happen. Passengers who have fallen off a cruise ship have been known to survive, although the chances of survival are low and depending on the sea conditions, can be even lower.

When falling off a cruise ship, the main danger comes from hypothermia. Hypothermia happens when a person’s body temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit and can cause severe health issues such as organ failure and death. In addition to the hypothermia risk, if the person isn’t rescued quickly enough they may also become dehydrated from lack of fluids.

The best chance of survival if someone falls off a cruise ship is if they are spotted by another vessel or by the crew of the cruise ship itself. Cruise ships are constantly monitored by radar and other navigational systems which can detect someone in the water nearby and alert crew members to their location. Generally, there will be an immediate search conducted with lifeboats or helicopters dispatched to locate them.

There is also an alarm that will go off on board when someone falls overboard so that they can be rescued quickly; however, this system isn’t foolproof as sometimes it won’t go off if the person doesn’t hit a certain pressure sensor when falling into the water.

Conclusion:

Falling off a cruise ship is an extremely dangerous situation and often has fatal consequences due to hypothermia and dehydration. The best chance of survival is if you are spotted quickly by another vessel or by the crew of your own ship, who should then launch an immediate rescue mission with lifeboats or helicopters.