Here’s why people so rarely fall off cruise ships
More people lose their lives because of a toaster than by falling off a ship. Here’s why these events are so rare and what happens when they do
Yes, people do fall overboard on cruises and lose their lives every year. But these events are incredibly infrequent.
And because the media loves passenger-overboard stories and dedicates multiple articles to each, people usually think these incidents are way more frequent than they are.
According to statistics released by CLIA, 218 people fell overboard on cruises between 2009 and 2019, with 165 being passengers.
Over the same period, cruise ships welcomed about 255m guests. The percentage of passengers falling overboard is just under 0.00065 per cent.
So, can you fall overboard? Technically, yes. But it very rarely happens. By comparison, the chance of being involved in a car accident in the UK stands at 0.21%.
Everyday items like pens and pencils, toasters, ladders and space heaters are individually responsible for more deaths.
What are cruise lines doing to avoid passengers falling overboard?
The design of railings in common areas and on cabin balconies makes accidentally falling overboard almost impossible.
The railings usually reach about chest height and are built so that sliding underneath them is impossible.
In addition, CCTV systems let the crew monitor the activity on board the ship. They can often spot passengers acting erratically and step in to stop anything happening.
The crew is vigilant and takes swift action if a potentially dangerous situation arises.
Why are some people still falling off cruise ships?
We can’t rule out the odd freak event when something accidental happens. But in most cases, the sad truth is that passenger actions are to blame.
Alcohol and drugs can play a role, with intoxicated guests liable to act in unsafe manners.
Even when booze isn’t involved, accidents are often the result of passengers taking unnecessary risks by climbing on railings or furniture near the railings.
Finally, we can’t ignore the sad fact that some people choose to end their own lives and voluntarily jump off the ship.
How are cruise ships reacting to a passenger-overboard situation?
Cruise lines have developed solid protocols to react quickly to emergencies and save lives.
There is a perception that falling overboard must be fatal, which is easy to understand since the drop can be as high as 70m on some ships.
And while it’s true that many passenger-overboard situations end in a fatality, it’s not always the case.
CLIA statistics highlight that 48 of the 218 passengers and crew who fell off a ship between 2009 and 2019 were rescued.
Whether a passenger survives after falling off a ship depends on different factors, including:
- The height of the fall
- Whether the ship is moving at the time of the accident
- How quickly the crew or captain become aware of the situation
- Whether the passenger injured themselves during the fall
- The temperature of the water
But strong search and rescue protocols, as well as modern technology, play a big part too.
As mentioned above, the CCTV system helps prevent some incidents. And when they don’t, they make it possible to pinpoint the exact time of the event. This will allow the crew to pinpoint the area of water where a passenger fell off.
The sea isn’t static, and currents, winds and waves make this information accurate for only a short time, but it's a solid starting point.
If an incident is caught immediately, life buoys are thrown in the water. These are equipped with lights to help with night-time rescues. The ship will then do a couple of things:
- Alter its route and start a search and rescue operation.
- Alert the coast guards (if near enough the coast) and nearby ships so they can assist with the search.
Under maritime law and tradition, nearby ships are duty-bound to assist in search and rescue operations.
How can I help in passenger-overboard situations?
If you witness a passenger-overboard incident, you should:
- Throw a life buoy if one is at hand
- Make a note of the exact time of the event (this will help pinpoint the location of the incident)
- Immediately notify a crew member
The crew can also ask guests to help the search by looking for any signs of the passenger in the water.
Most importantly, let the crew do their work during a highly stressful situation. Don't bother them with unnecessary questions or requests.
How long will the search last, and will the impact be on the cruise?
The captain decides how long a rescue operation lasts but expects at least several hours. Things also depend on whether other ships, the coast guards and sea rescue organisations are available to help in the immediate aftermath.
Whatever happens, expect delays to your sailings, which may mean a shorter stay at the next port of call or missing it altogether.
You need to accept this fact. Don’t forget that the missing passenger may have friends and family on board, so be respectful and avoid complaining about how this impacts your holiday.
After a passenger-overboard incident, the crew will try to bring a sense of normalcy to the sailing, with normal operations resuming.
But what happened remains on the minds of the crew and the passengers for a while and the atmosphere may be somewhat muted.
What shall I do so it doesn’t happen to me?
As we said, falling overboard is extremely unlikely. But act smartly and behave yourself: don’t drink too much, do drugs, climb on railings or furniture near the railings, or get into fights.
And don’t forget, we’re talking of an occurrence rate below 0.000065%. Worry less about your cruise balcony and more about your toaster.
