What is the immediate danger to a person overboard?

• A. Being struck by the vessel's hull or propeller.
• B. Drowning due to water intake.
• C. Getting lost at sea.
• D. Getting cold.

Answer: (A)

When someone is overboard, the fastest and most immediate danger is contact with the moving parts of the vessel—the hull or the propeller. A boat can reach a person in the water within seconds, and a rotating propeller can cause severe, even fatal injuries very quickly. The hull can also strike a person if they are near the edge or behind the vessel. Drowning, hypothermia, or becoming separated from the crew are serious risks too, but they develop after the initial moment and aren’t as instantaneous as being hit by the boat’s moving parts.