Code Oscar - Code Oscar - Code Oscar
Responding To A Man Overboard
By Mike Groves
These are the words that in all probability you will hear coming over the ships tannoy [loud speakers] should anyone either fall or jump overboard whilst at sea. This was certainly the case for all Seabourn ships and as I understand, throughout the entire Carnival fleet irrespective of originating companies, Cunard, Princess, Holland America etc.
The use of a recognized code word enables two things; one for a fully trained ship's crew to mobilize immediately and secondly, allowing them to do so relatively unhindered in the first crucial minutes of the incident. You could imagine the rush to the railings by hundreds of passengers should the announcement of ‘Man overboard’ be made rather than ‘Code Oscar’, a scenario that could easily cause the launch of a rescue or life boat to delayed.
In actual fact the entire content of the Code Oscar message is not limited to just repeating Code Oscar, but also giving the location or last sighting of the victim. So in essence you may hear someone shouting [verbally or over the radio] ‘Code OSCAR - Code OSCAR - Code OSCAR, man-overboard on the starboard quarter [right side near the stern] at 100 yards’.
However you may wonder what is also happening behind the scenes at this point in time and more importantly, what can you do if you see someone fall over the side or otherwise become aware that ship's officers and crew are dealing with such a situation.
As soon as a Code Oscar has been shouted over the radio or verbally, it will automatically be repeated over the ship's tannoy system by bridge officers in order to alert all crew. Not everyone carries a VHF radio on board cruise ships. Naturally this will enable those responsible for manning the rescue boat to start making it ready for immediate launch.
Bridge officers will also rush to both the bridge wings on the port and starboard side with binoculars, to try and locate the victim themselves and guide the rescue operation. The ship may already be in the process of turning and therefore a victim who was seen to fall from the starboard side, may now only be visible from the port side.
Most certainly the bridge team should have already spoken with the ECR [Engine Control Room] to inform them to stop or reduce engines to allow safe launch of the ships rescue boat. It is imperative that the rescue boat is launched as soon as humanly possible.
Best practice dictates that the person who observes someone falling over the side should not take their sight off that person for a second, but in fact raise the alarm while maintaining visual contact with the victim and to keep shouting until help arrives or it is obvious that the message has been acknowledged. If there is a life ring or floating aid nearby then you should instruct someone [without taking ‘your eyes’ off the victim] to throw this over the side, even if this means throwing over a deck chair!
Obviously if a man-overboard incident occurs at night then maintaining visual contact becomes very difficult indeed, however we do hold a number of simple techniques or equipment to aid us with this.
Ships are often equipped with searchlights or the crew may have access to a very strong portable torch which sends out a very intense and narrowed beam of light, which if memory serves me right allows you to see 150 to 200 yards if not more. We had such a device on board the Seabourn Spirit.
The best technique however, day or night, is to extend your arm out and keep it pointing towards the victim at all times. You may feel ridiculous doing this but you are helping to save a life. Likewise if you’re ‘another’ passenger on board the vessel and you also ‘saw’ the victim in the water then I also urge you to do this.
Please remember that if someone falls off the ship from the middle or the front then they will soon be passing ‘you’ or other passengers [towards the stern] as the ship continues forward; and quite quickly as well. Countless numbers of passengers and crew all standing still and at various points along the ships edge with arms extended, is clearly the best way forward!
‘Please try to avoid shouting or even becoming embroiled in an argument with another if their opinion of the victims location differs from yours. We all blink and miss things and yes, they may be wrong but also so may you!’
Keep with your own gut instinct and do not be swayed from it, rescue crews will search the immediate area that they are being directed to and from everyone’s observations.
We also need to factor in the wake caused from the ships own propellers and also the swell of the oceans waves themselves, which will invariably cause the victim to disappear from sight on occasions. The most important thing you can do is to not give up hope, and to keep pointing towards the last position ‘you saw’ the victim and not deviate from that until ships officers or crew have made contact with you. This could take sometime but as a former ship's officer myself, I would be immensely grateful to see everyone standing there in relative silence with their arms extended, no matter how much of a twit you may feel but ‘You’re saving a life!’
Cruise ships often take a number of nautical miles to turn around, hence rescue boats should be launched wherever possible. Furthermore, the ships exact position should be recorded immediately from the global navigation systems situated on the bridge. This will assist the ships rescue teams to make their way towards that location or if bad weather prevents a launch, then the ship must return to that location itself and also alert the USCG United States Coast Guard (USCG) or other international rescue bodies and other shipping in addition.
Depending on the temperature of the water, a person could survive at sea [if in fairly good health] for a number of days, but you need to give them as much help as possible! So throw over life rings, life jackets [not just one but three or four] or a deck chair if needs be.
When in the water, the cruise ship is much more visible to the victim than the victim to you, they will see items being thrown over the side and will make their way towards these obvious flotation devices. Time is of the essence so do not think – throw it over the side!
Taking such steps and offering that person every hope of survival will vastly increase their chances and I’m sure, within the hour, you will see them being brought back on board and taken into medical care, both grateful to you and for a second chance of life.
Code Oscar should always be repeated three times ‘Code OSCAR - Code OSCAR - Code OSCAR in order to ensure the message is not lost in translation or possibly cut out by cross over radio traffic or otherwise not reacted to on a busy bridge.
Code Oscar - Code Oscar - Code Oscar
Responding To A Man Overboard
By Mike Groves QGM
Cruise Bruise Security And Safety Advisor
September 22, 2009
