What is the Williamson turn?


What is the Williamson turn? The Williamson turn is an alternative manoeuvre used to bring a ship or boat under power back to a point it previously passed through, often for the purpose of recovering a casualty at sea. It was named for John Williamson, USNR, who used it in 1943 to recover a man who had fallen overboard.


What should you do when you see a person fall overboard at night?

Here are some more man overboard tips:
  1. Never jump into the water to rescue a victim unless you're wearing a life vest and are tethered to the boat. ...
  2. If the rescue is at night, light a white flare to illuminate the area. ...
  3. Never back a boat up to a man overboard -- the propeller can be deadly.


Can a cruise ship tell if a passenger fell overboard?

The Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 requires passenger vessels operating in the United States to integrate technology that can be used for capturing images of passengers or detecting passengers who have fallen overboard, to the extent that such technology is available.


Do cruise ships know if someone falls overboard?

The majority of cruise ships do not have specific man-overboard sensors, but they are becoming more common. 30 cruise ships owned by Carnival and Disney have been fitted with V-MOB sensors used to automatically alert the bridge of a man overboard incident.


Do cruise ships stop for man overboard?

As soon as an incident happens, cruise ship crew will activate a button that pinpoints the place where the person went into the water. The ship will then stop and turn back to that area. The ship and its crew will perform a lengthy search and rescue operation, lasting several hours.


How many people have fallen off cruise ships in 2023?

In 2023 thus far, there have been 10 overboard incidents affecting 11 people, according to data compiled by Ross Klein, a social work professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who runs a cruise safety website. Nine of those eleven people died as a result.