Responding to emergencies: cold water, capsizing, person overboard, fire and distress signals

Cold water - the 1-10-1 principle

Canadian waters are cold most of the year; about 94 % of Canadian boaters who drown were in water under 20 °C.

Stage	Time	What happens / what to do
Cold shock	1 minute	Sudden gasp and hyperventilation - risk of inhaling water. Keep your airway clear, stay calm, control breathing. A lifejacket keeps your head up
Cold incapacitation	10 minutes	Fingers, arms and legs lose strength and coordination. Use these minutes to get out of the water or onto the boat, or to secure yourself
Hypothermia	1 hour	Core temperature falls; unconsciousness follows. With a lifejacket you can survive much longer and be rescued

Key fact: 1 minute to control breathing, 10 minutes of meaningful movement, about 1 hour before hypothermia makes you unconscious. Wearing a lifejacket is what makes the plan possible.

Reduce heat loss: if you cannot get out, keep still; adopt the HELP position (Heat Escape Lessening Posture - knees to chest, arms crossed) alone, or huddle with others. Do not try to swim long distances.

Treating a hypothermic person: handle gently, remove wet clothing, insulate and warm the core gradually, give warm sweet drinks only if fully conscious, no alcohol, get medical help.

Capsizing and swamping

• Stay with the boat - most small boats float even when swamped and are easier for rescuers to see.
• Climb onto or hold onto the hull; get as much of your body out of the water as possible.
• Count heads; make sure everyone has a lifejacket on.
• Signal for help.

Person overboard

1. Shout "person overboard!" and keep pointing at the person - assign a spotter.
2. Throw something that floats (lifebuoy, PFD, heaving line, cushion).
3. Turn the boat back carefully and approach from downwind or into the current, slowly, keeping the person in sight.
4. Stop the engine (or put it in neutral) when close, to keep the propeller away from the person.
5. Help the person aboard over the stern or using the reboarding device (never over the side of a small boat if it may capsize; beware of the propeller).

Fire

• Most boat fires start with fuel vapours or electrical faults.
• If a fire starts: stop the boat, turn off the fuel supply and engine, position the boat so the fire is downwind, aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire and sweep.
• If the fire cannot be controlled, put on lifejackets and abandon the boat; call for help.
• Extinguisher classes on boats: B (flammable liquids) and C (electrical) - "B:C". Check the gauge and shake dry-chemical extinguishers regularly.

Distress signals (Collision Regulations, Annex IV)

Recognized ways to signal that you are in distress and need help include:

• red flares (hand-held or parachute) and orange smoke signals;
• "MAYDAY" spoken by radio (VHF channel 16) or SOS in Morse code;
• continuous sounding of a fog-signalling apparatus (horn);
• slowly and repeatedly raising and lowering arms outstretched to each side;
• flames on the vessel (e.g. a burning bucket of oily rags);
• a gun or explosive signal fired at about one-minute intervals;
• a square flag with a ball (or ball-like shape) above or below it; the N over C code flags;
• a dye marker, an EPIRB or personal locator beacon signal.

Pyrotechnic flares

Type	Description
A	Parachute flare - most visible, for larger vessels/open water
B	Multi-star flare
C	Hand-held flare
D	Smoke signal - daytime use only

Flares expire 4 years after their date of manufacture. Fire them only when there is a chance they will be seen (e.g. a boat or aircraft in sight); point them downwind and away from the boat. Never use them for fun - false alarms put lives at risk.

Radio procedures

Call	Use
MAYDAY (×3)	Grave and imminent danger to a vessel or person - immediate help needed
PAN-PAN (×3)	Urgent situation but no immediate danger to life (e.g. engine failure drifting toward rocks)
SÉCURITÉ (×3)	Safety message (navigation or weather warning)

A Mayday call gives: vessel name, position, nature of distress, help needed, number of people, description of the boat. A cellphone is useful but is not a substitute for a marine VHF radio (VHF reaches all nearby boats and the Coast Guard). An operator of a fixed VHF radio needs a Restricted Operator Certificate (Maritime).

Running aground, engine failure, bad weather

• Aground: check for injuries and leaks first; do not reverse hard if the hull is damaged.
• Engine failure: anchor to avoid drifting into danger; signal for help if needed.
• Sudden storm: put on lifejackets, reduce speed, head into the waves at a slight angle, keep weight low and head for the nearest safe shore.

Quick review

1. What does 1-10-1 stand for? (1 min cold shock, 10 min meaningful movement, 1 h before hypothermia unconsciousness.)
2. Your small boat capsizes. Do you swim for shore? (No - stay with the boat.)
3. Which flare is for daytime only? (Type D - smoke.)
4. Which VHF channel is used for distress? (16.)
5. What call do you use for an urgent but not life-threatening problem? (PAN-PAN.)