Do cruise ships in New York have to stop if you fall?

New Yorkers going on a cruise are filled with excitement at the prospect. But with the excitement comes the worry about accidents.

We’ve all seen the scene in a comedy show or cartoon. After losing their balance in a hilarious fashion, the character falls off the edge of the cruise ship.

What are the chances of falling off a cruise ship?

Reality inspires fiction. Even though it’s exceptionally rare, it’s not unheard of for people to fall off the edge of a cruise ship.

The odds of falling overboard on a cruise ship are less than one in 1.3 million. That’s still not zero though, and averages out to about 20 to 25 people per year.

What happens if you do fall overboard?

Usually, a cruise ship will have plenty of protocols in place to handle cruise ship injuries. So there is a protocol if a passenger falls overboard.

First, crew members will throw life preservers to mark the location of where the ship fell. The ship will stop and return to where those life preservers are before starting the search.

It can take up to a mile for the cruise ship to stop or slow down to a speed where they can safely turn around. This – unfortunately – puts a significant amount of time from when the passenger fell overboard and when the crew members can start looking.

What are the odds of being rescued after you fall overboard?

Less than 25 percent of passengers who fall overboard are ever found. The time of day, weather conditions, and location of the cruise ship can all play an important factor.

Cruise ships have extensive protocols in place to record such incidences and help with investigations afterward. It’s important to get closure if you’ve had a loved one fall overboard while on a cruise ship.