Emergency Situations; Medical Emergency; Water Rescue; Returning To The Victim - Boston Whaler 130 Super Sport User Manual

Emergency Situations

NOTICE
The law requires the operator to assist any
person or boat in distress as long as rendering
assistance does not endanger the operator, the
passengers or the boat.
Prevention is the safest approach. We hope that you
are never involved in an emergency situation, but if
you are it is imperative that you react.

Medical Emergency

You may be far from professional medical help when
you are boating. At least two (2) persons on board
your boat should be CPR certifi ed, and should have
taken a fi rst aid course. Your boat should have a well
stocked fi rst aid kit on board. In many situations
your radio will be your only link to reaching medical
assistance. Keep the radio in working order and
understand which channels are used for emergencies,
these channels are constantly monitored and will
be useful when situations arise. Cell phones are
becoming more common and can help in some areas,
but they are limited and unreliable and should not
be used in the place of a good VHF radio.

Water Rescue

In most situations a person that has fallen overboard
will succumb to hypothermia if not rescued
immediately. Life expectancy decreases as rescue
time increases in water temperatures below 70°
(21.1°C).
There are three (3) steps that must be taken when a
person has fallen overboard:

1. Returning to the victim:

• Immediately make everyone onboard aware
that someone is overboard and keep the victim
in sight.
• Slow the boat and keep pointing toward the
person overboard. At night or in low light, point
the best available light source at the person.
130 Super Sport
Section 1 • Safety
• Throw a life ring/preserver to the victim, even
if they are wearing one it will serve as another
marker.

2. Making contact:

• Stop or slow the boat and circle toward the
person overboard. Never reverse your boat to
pick up someone in the water.
• Try to approach heading into the wind or into
the waves.
• Keep person overboard constantly in sight.
• When almost alongside, stop the engine in gear
to prevent propeller "windmilling".
3. Getting back aboard:
• Try to reach the person overboard with a pole,
or by throwing a life preserver. NEVER swim
to them except as a last resort.
• Assist the person in boarding. Boarding should
be done at the stern of the boat.
• If the person is injured or incapable of boarding
by themselves, a rescuer should don a life
preserver with a safety line and enter the water
to assist the person onto the boat.
• Handle the person carefully, spinal injuries
might have occurred and could be worsened by
rough handling.
• Check for other injuries, render medical
assistance immediately.

Fire

Fire is a serious boating hazard. Boats will burn
quickly. Do not remain onboard and fi ght a fi re for
more than a few minutes. If the fi re is out of control
and cannot be put out with the fi re suppression
equipment onboard, abandon ship immediately.
The fumes released during a fi re are toxic and should
be avoided. Even after the fi re has been extinguished,
proper ventilation of the area is required to minimize
exposure to these harmful fumes.
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