What should the person who sees MOB do after alerting the operator?

• A. Ignore MOB and proceed.
• B. Keep MOB in sight at all times and call out relative bearings and range to the operator.
• C. Immediately jump in yourself.
• D. Use a searchlight to identify.

Answer: (B)

The key idea is to keep the person overboard in continuous sight and provide precise location information to the operator. By staying visually focused on the MOB at all times and calling out relative bearings and range, you give the helm a real-time, moving fix of where the person is. This allows the operator to steer, slow, or maneuver the vessel to arrive alongside or near the MOB as quickly and safely as possible, accounting for drift, current, and wind.

A searchlight can help in low visibility, but it doesn’t replace the need to continuously track the MOB and communicate their exact position. Ignoring the MOB would risk losing track of the person, and jumping in yourself without a coordinated plan or immediate rescue apparatus could put you or others in greater danger.