Man Overboard!

Interesting article:

http://elliott.org/blog/its-past-time-to-add-man-overboard-systems-on-all-cruise-ships/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+elliottorg+%28Elliott%29

Interesting article.

Keith

As I understand the man overboard detection systems, they all rely on the person wearing a device that sends a signal. I cannot see 3-6000 passengers actually doing this.

I know that most cruise ships have an array of outside cameras that can and usually do spot someone going overboard. These cameras, as is the case with every other technology, are not foolproof.

An astounding amount of the man overboard situations are cases of, "Hey, y'all look at this!" Alcohol fuels many if not most of these.

The sources quoted in the article are folks who have made a living suing cruise lines. They are not exactly a neutral source.

Just another trolling attorney's point of view and not of any real interest IMO as it presents a rather skewed - and unrealistic - bias. The reality is it is nearly impossible to "fall" overboard as the article implies with that wording throughout. The railing designs are intentional to prevent that. It is almost always intentional actions such as intoxicated behavior, horsing around, or suicide that results in these incidents and not the result of a lack of safeguards throughout the ship.

20 million+ people cruise annually around the world. How many overboard incidents are there in comparison? I'd say the cruise industry does a remarkable job with passenger safety.

I think most people that fall of ships because they want to leave this world. If your drunk enough to fall of a ship , you probably will black out on contact with the water . How many people are trained or know how to jump into the water from heights? The lowest deck is almost 40 feet or more from the water .

When I took training as a lifeguard . We were taught to jump into the water properly from about 12 feet . The only way to jump was feet first . Most people fall overboard probably don't go feet first .

The shock of hitting the water would be a shock to most people.

The author is with the "International Cruise Victims Association". What else does one expect his position to be? They're claiming that somebody developed a system that they want to sell so cruise ship companies, therefore cruise ship companies are negligent by not installing it.

The only way to stop cruise ship suicides and alcohol fueled stupidity is to completely encase the decks and balconies as is done with the Empire State Building observatory. Would it not be better to stop all "falls" from ships rather than have anyone suffer from a "fall"?:rolleyes:

Anyone who thinks it's unsafe to go out on deck alone at night should find another way to spend their vacation.

Thanks for the link.

Interesting article:

 

http://elliott.org/blog/its-past-time-to-add-man-overboard-systems-on-all-cruise-ships/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+elliottorg+%28Elliott%29

Interesting only because it is an absolute crock. Claiming that cruise ships are moving backwards because they do not follow an old practice of stationing lookouts at the stern of ships for the specific purpose of spotting people over the side is only one gross lie. Navy ships have lookouts for multiple reasons - probably the least of which is to spot overboards. I doubt any merchant ship ever regularly had lookouts stationed at the stern - for any reason.

Frankly, while it is too bad if someone dies because of his stupidity or death wish, there is no way everyone can be protected from his own stupidity or death wish - or, for that matter, from random cruise ship muggers who apparently now roam the darkened cruise ship decks in search of victims to heave over the side.

Give me a break!

As I understand the man overboard detection systems, they all rely on the person wearing a device that sends a signal. I cannot see 3-6000 passengers actually doing this.

 

I know that most cruise ships have an array of outside cameras that can and usually do spot someone going overboard. These cameras, as is the case with every other technology, are not foolproof.

 

An astounding amount of the man overboard situations are cases of, "Hey, y'all look at this!" Alcohol fuels many if not most of these.

 

The sources quoted in the article are folks who have made a living suing cruise lines. They are not exactly a neutral source.

I wouldn't be keen on wearing a tracking device, although I might tolerate it if it was integrated into the key card. And if a person was planning to commit suicide by jumping off the ship, surely the first thing they'd do is take off the signal device, or drop their key card.

I suppose it might help with the people who've had so much to drink that climbing from one balcony to another seems like a good idea.

And even though the article makes it sound like people just fall off accidentally all the time, it takes some effort and/or some alcohol.

I find it really hard to have any sympathy most of the people who "fall" overboard as it really takes a lot of effort to "fall" up over the railing and then "fall" overboard. I do feel sorry for the folks who go overboard to commit suicide as they have real personal issues. The drunks or the stupids - none at all.

DON

Here is a news report from 2 years ago.

Shak

http://www.wptv.com/news/local-news/investigations/cruise-lines-are-slow-to-implement-a-man-overboard-detection-system-for-passengers

This fellow pretty much sums it up:

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

This fellow pretty much sums it up:

 

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Yes, That does sums it up pretty nicely - You literally have to be on a mission to climb to fall overboard on cruise ship. I mean even the OP's linked article proves it - Literally 319 missing from 2005 out of the millions that sail each year since then? Yeah, don't need a detection system for the masses - most seems to have no problem staying onboard without help...

This fellow pretty much sums it up:

 

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

I like him! Very true, and very amusing.

...

Anyone who thinks it's unsafe to go out on deck alone at night should find another way to spend their vacation.

I'm a solo cruiser, Sr citizen. I'll be the first to admit I don't spend a lot of time at the railing when doing my nocturnal strolling on deck. I do realize that with the height of the railings it is impossible to "fall" overboard unless you're helped over, or just being stoopid.

Yes, That does sums it up pretty nicely - You literally have to be on a mission to climb to fall overboard on cruise ship. I mean even the OP's linked article proves it - Literally 319 missing from 2005 out of the millions that sail each year since then? Yeah, don't need a detection system for the masses - most seems to have no problem staying onboard without help...

Someone recently was worried about a 2 or 3 year old and a balcony cabin. I pointed out that unless it was a 2 or 3 year old Monkey there was no trouble.

Someone recently was worried about a 2 or 3 year old and a balcony cabin. I pointed out that unless it was a 2 or 3 year old Monkey there was no trouble.

Or if he were 6 foot 8 inches tall.

Or if he were 6 foot 8 inches tall.

Hadn't though of that possibility.

Having been extremely fortunate in taking a number of cruises (and hopefully lots more :D) I would agree with people that it is just about impossible to accidentally fall overboard; although there is always the odd tragic exception.

I watched the video that was linked above and he mentioned the lady who was suing Carnival; here is a link to that incident

Draw your own conclusions, but once again alcohol has its part to play.

Having been extremely fortunate in taking a number of cruises (and hopefully lots more :D) I would agree with people that it is just about impossible to accidentally fall overboard; although there is always the odd tragic exception.

 

I watched the video that was linked above and he mentioned the lady who was suing Carnival; here is a link to that incident

 

 

Draw your own conclusions, but once again alcohol has its part to play.

What is it about alcohol that makes you want to look at the side of the ship? I have looked at the side of the ship close up when it was in port, but not for long periods; to say it is completely uninteresting is an understatement.

I think the other passengers on a ship should be able to sue the person who fell overboard for disrupting their cruises by their irresponsible actions of excessive drinking and stupid behaviour.

Regards John

What is it about alcohol that makes you want to look at the side of the ship? I have looked at the side of the ship close up when it was in port, but not for long periods; to say it is completely uninteresting is an understatement.

 

I think the other passengers on a ship should be able to sue the person who fell overboard for disrupting their cruises by their irresponsible actions of excessive drinking and stupid behaviour.

 

Regards John

Its liquid courage (stupidity) in bottle / can / glass / cup - if they didn't have guts to look on the side while sober without climbing, they need it to look at while drunk to climb railings. :rolleyes:(You don't need to climb anything to look at the ocean / views from anywhere - drunk or sober....)

Someone recently was worried about a 2 or 3 year old and a balcony cabin. I pointed out that unless it was a 2 or 3 year old Monkey there was no trouble.

Point well taken. But more importantly, if the parents are with that 2 or 3 year old - as they should be when he is out on the balcony - it would be impossible in any case for there to be a risk and the point would be moot.

Point well taken. But more importantly, if the parents are with that 2 or 3 year old - as they should be when he is out on the balcony - it would be impossible in any case for there to be a risk and the point would be moot.

Assuming said "parent" doesn't plop the toddler on top of the balcony railing :eek: to look at the pretty waves.

I makes no difference to me why someone would go overboard on a cruise ship. Life is precious and if there is a way to detect someone going overboard in real time lets have it.

Shak

I makes no difference to me why someone would go overboard on a cruise ship. Life is precious and if there is a way to detect someone going overboard in real time lets have it.

 

Shak

So everybody will end up paying more for their cruises to pay for the new technology, whereas many who "fall" over board are deliberately trying to end it all.

If you have a system that immediately detects people falling, we may spend a lot of time on false alarms and people might get complacent in thinking they are now not in any danger from taking a selfie or having a friend take a picture of them standing on the rail.

It is a process of natural selection which Darwin has described years ago.

REgards John