Step 4 of 6•2 minutes read
Assisting Others to Survive in Polar Waters
The actions required of a ship assisting another vessel in abandoning the ship are all centred around keeping the personnel abandoning as dry and safe as possible. This, however, needs to be weighed against the resources available to the rescuing vessel and how they can be managed to ensure they have enough to survive a similar incident.
Polar waters can be dangerous for many reasons, including assisting others. Photo: Jörgen Språng.
Management of Resources
While rescuing survivors is paramount, the officers should ensure that the resources are used most effectively. The abandoning crew should ideally board dry and avoid the water. To achieve this, lifeboats and rescue boats should be the first thought for rescuing the survivors.
It is also important to ensure that as much of the survival equipment from the abandoned vessel is recovered. PSKs, GSKs, food, lifeboats and other pertinent equipment should be salvaged. This will ensure that the assisting vessel is not left short of equipment should it become difficult after the rescue.