Emergencies can happen at any time on the water but being prepared is important for the safety of you and your passengers. Most boating accidents are preventable but being equipped to handle emergencies is key to ensuring a safer boating experience.
Common Boat Emergencies
It’s critical to have the necessary supplies in case of boating emergencies. Here are some common emergencies and how to avoid them:
- Running out of gas: check your gas levels before venturing out and ensure you have more than enough for the trip planned.
- Dead battery: charge the battery often and check cable connections, ensuring the battery is secure.
- Cuts/broken bones: have a first aid kit available and continue to restock as you use supplies.
- Falling overboard: ensure all passengers wear well-fitting life jackets and are safely seated while the boat is in motion.
- Capsizing or flooding: follow safe driving techniques, stay on top of weather, and evenly distribute the weight of all passengers on the vessel, staying within the allotted weight or number of persons requirement.
- Weather emergencies: the weather can change at any time. Do your best to stay ahead of potential weather threats to prevent injury and damage to your passengers and boat.
- Boat collisions: prevent collisions by operating your boat at a safe speed and be aware of other boaters around you.
- Drowning: Proper-fitting life jackets can be worn while boating to prevent drowning. Though they are not required to be worn for boaters over the age of 6 unless you’re on a personal watercraft, be sure well-fitting life jackets are available for all passengers onboard.
Not all of the above situations would warrant emergency boat services, which is why it’s important to be prepared yourself. Safe boating practices are reviewed in boater safety courses, but please remember to always wear proper fitting life jackets, to not overload your boat, keep your emergency radio on, have a first aid and safety kit onboard, and don’t drink and drive!
Immediate Steps to Take
In case an emergency does arise, there are several immediate steps you can take to potentially lessen risks. It may take a while before emergency boat services arrive if they’re needed, but safety should always be the first priority. Make sure passengers are wearing life jackets and safely out of harm’s way, then move on to the following basic troubleshooting before calling for help, especially if your boat is still operable.
- Kill lanyard: if there’s been a fall overboard, use the kill lanyard to immediately turn the boat engine off. This could prevent the risk of serious injuries and fatalities.
- Binnacle control handle: this handle should be moved into the neutral position to prevent the boat from moving.
- Upper station: if your boat has a second level, or an upper station, make sure that the control handle is also in the neutral position to prevent the boat from moving.
- Primer bulb: if you think you’ve run out of gas check the primer bulb to see if there is fuel being sent to the engine.
- Batteries: if your batteries have died while out on the water you can use a portable jump starter. Be sure to always have one on hand in your onboard safety kit.
- Alarms: depending on your boat engine, most will have an alarm system to warn you of low oil pressure or high coolant levels. If alarms go off simply unhook them to check oil and coolant levels.
When To Call for Help
If you and your boating passengers are experiencing imminent danger then don’t wait to call emergency boat services for help. If lives are endangered due to someone falling into the water or the boat is in jeopardy due to severe weather or a malfunction causing a fire, capsizing, or even sinking, you should call for help right away.
Available Emergency Boat Services
In case of a dire situation on the water, there are many emergency boat services to call for help.
9-1-1: Use your cell phone to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency. They can connect you to other emergency boat services, such as the Coast Guard, for quick assistance.
VHF-FM Channel 16: This channel on FM radio is the distress and emergency channel for boats only.
Distress signals: Use visual distress signals to attract attention for help, day or night. Be sure to include one or more of the following in your boat safety kit: an orange and red signal flag, orange smoke flares, SOS electric signal lights, red hand-held flares, and aerial flares.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC): In case of a boating accident, you can call the FWC at (850)-488-5600 to investigate what caused the accident and assist with boat removal, especially if the boat poses an environmental risk to the area.
County Sheriff: If a boating accident occurs, calling your county sheriff for help is also an option for immediate on-the-scene assistance, investigating the accident, search and rescue, and reporting and proper documentation.
Preparing for Emergencies
Being prepared for emergencies on the water can make a big difference in the situation at hand. It’s important to take a boater’s safety course to learn how to safely maneuver and care for your boat, as well as keep yourself and others safe while on the water. Practice and come up with a plan in case an emergency does occur. Always have emergency first aid and safety kits onboard stocked with the necessary items, as well as life jackets for every passenger, other flotation devices, signaling devices, a working radio or phone to call for help, and rope in case towing is needed or to throw to someone overboard.
Boat Safely with Fish Tale Boats
Download Fish Tale Boats Boating Safety Guide before heading out for a day on the water. To learn more about the professional services we offer to keep your boat running safely and efficiently contact us today at Fish Tale Boats or visit our website!
