From our Coast Guard mooring at the harbor mouth, I watched the carrier’s flight deck swarm with activity. Within seconds we sounded our own general quarter’s alarm and within a few more had the 67-ton Point Bridge underway to the location of the lifering’s flashing strobe light. A heavy cold evening mist lay over San Diego harbor, which is not uncommon for early February.

We established communications with the carrier as it plowed into open waters. Meanwhile, we began cutting perpendicular courses across the channel mouth. Quarter Master Second Class Mike Dooley first spotted the man in a wedge of light cast across the water from a nearby shore light. We steamed over to the man- unbelievable- the sailor was totally naked, not even a sock.

We hauled his shivering bones aboard, clothed him, and steamed out to the carrier. In the words only a distraught sailor could voice, he said: "Maybe now they will get it through their....heads, that I don’t want to be on that...boat." He told us he had just been released from the carrier’s brig and didn’t want to be deployed again. Guess what? That the Point Bridge crew responded to the overboard in short order was not surprising. "Man overboard" drills are as common to the Coast Guard as carrier landings are to aircraft carriers- second nature reactions are a must. The question is what would you do in the event of man, woman, child overboard? Would you react with purpose or would you panic? If you’re not sure, it’s probably reason enough to assess your "man overboard" procedures. To help you, let me take you through a standard Coast Guard "man overboard" drill and see how it compares to your own overboard plan.

The first action when a person goes overboard is to sound the alarm: ‘Man overboard’, followed by the side (port, starboard, stern) they went over. Then the crew person tosses a lifering to which is attached a strobe light; the coxswain turns the helm in the direction the person fell (port or starboard). Meanwhile the person who called the overboard stays with eyes riveted on the person in the water. When the boat comes about and is heading for the person in the water (PIW), command will decide weather to make a direct or indirect pickup. In nearly all cases picking up the PIW should be done with the rescue boat’s bow heading into the elements- wind or sea. This approach provides for better control of the boat.

It’s recommended to bring the PIW along side the boat either directly or indirectly with the rescue heaving line (standard CG equipment). If you use a direct approach, it’s absolutely necessary that when the person is along side the boat you place engines in neutral.

Once you secure the person along side, the challenge then is to haul the PIW aboard- never an easy task. I prefer tying a eye in the end of a line and hanging it overboard just below water level. This allows the person in the water to place their foot in the eye while you lift up ward thus, redistributing their center of gravity. An absolute must during water recoveries- wear a life jacket.

That’s about it. Sounds simple, sure. Is it simple? Depends. Try it using a boat fender, you might be surprised at the challenge it offers. And that’s the key to man over board drills- practice. Oh, by the way, for those trailing fishing lines, if you have lines near the surface you may want to cut them or haul them in before attempting to pick someone up in the water. Better you catch them that a lure.

Boat Smart- know your Man over board plan and practice it.

**** Boat Smart is now on the Internet: www.boatsmart.net (includes Lake Michigan water temperatures and local weather).

Use channel 16 for emergencies, and channel 9 for calling fellow boaters.