Recreational Boating Safety - Abandoning the Boat

If you have to abandon your boat

• Make sure that everyone is wearing a buoyancy aid or Personal Flotation device (PFD) correctly before going over the side. Surviving in cold water is hard enough without having to contend with staying afloat as well
• Send a distress call if the boat has a radio. Send off distress flares only if they are likely to be seen – don’t waste your small stock of flares
• Activate your EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) if carried
• Don’t leave your boat. Most boats involved in accidents don’t sink and can be seen better than a person in the water. A partially submerged boat can also be used for support
• Restrain any impulse to swim ashore. Distances over water usually appear shorter than they actually are. It is always safer to stay with the boat unless you are sure that land is within swimming distance
• Huddle together to reduce heat loss. Avoid excessive physical activity such as swimming that will increase body heat loss.