Safeguarding the World’s Sailors
Cutting-Edge Detection Could Save Service Members
The Australian search and rescue services are some of the best in the world, and every American owes them a debt of gratitude for their assistance to the U.S. Navy’s Carrier Group 5 in searching for a missing sailor who is believed to have gone overboard from the USS George Washington. Throughout this display of outstanding international cooperation, a question inevitably comes to mind: What if they didn't have to search in the first place?
GULF OF OMAN (Aug. 28, 2023) Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) prepare to deploy a search and rescue swimmer during a man overboard drill while underway in the Gulf of Oman, Aug. 28, 2023. Thomas Hudner is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kerri Kline)
Man overboard (MOB) incidents are a tragic and seemingly unavoidable part of maritime operations. While we make great efforts to prevent them, they occur from both military and civilian vessels more frequently than anyone would prefer.
An analysis published by the National Library of Medicine reported that over a 50-year period, the U.S. Navy suffered from 352 casualties from MOB incidents, with a mortality rate of nearly 72%. In the same period, the Navy suffered from 923 casualties from fires, burns, and smoke inhalation, but with only a 13% mortality rate. The conclusion? As an enterprise, naval warfighters have implemented adept tools and procedures for countering the threat of fire, but are lagging in addressing the grave and ever-present danger of MOB.
Currently, the U.S. carrier fleet employs the BriarTek ORCA Man Overboard Indicator (MOBI), which requires the sailors to wear a transponder in order for the system to alert the vessel’s bridge crew to an MOB event. Unfortunately, not everyone onboard a carrier is allotted such a transponder, and even those who are do not wear them at all times. The gaps of such a system are self-evident.
The circumstances surrounding the most recent U.S. Navy MOB event are consistent with so many others. There is no certainty of when, where, or even whether or not the sailor actually went overboard. Even in rare cases when there is positive confirmation of an MOB, rescues are often challenging because of the difficulty of tracking the individual in the water.
In the case of Seaman Recruit David Spearman, who went overboard from the USS Arleigh Burke in the summer of 2022, a witness heard the cry for help, and the vessel’s crew responded with the greatest of speed. Unfortunately, the difficulty in visually tracking David and miscommunications delayed the rescue craft from arriving in time to save his life.
So, how do we protect the world’s sailors? Fortunately, a solution exists today and is already being adopted by the cruise ship industry. At least two technology companies have fielded MOB detection systems that can detect these fall events, alert the crew, and in some cases, continue to track the person in the water until the rescue is effected. But industry often moves faster than government procurement.
Currently, although the U.S. Navy has some initiatives to investigate these systems, there are no firm programmatic requirements to improve its protection of sailors from the danger of falling overboard. The same can be said for the nation’s oldest maritime service, the U.S. Coast Guard, which has a requirement to outfit its Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter fleet with the fallible MOBI system referenced above.
The U.S. is entering a period of near-unprecedented build-up and restoration of its maritime capacity, both in commercial and military sectors. Innovation of cutting-edge technologies is crucial to maintaining its status as the maritime world power. In doing so, the U.S. should rapidly adopt the technologies that can help ensure every sailor returns home after their tour of duty. The technology is available, and the need is well-documented. Now is the time to address this age-old risk to the women and men who serve at sea.
Notable Links
Read more about Man Overboard Detection Technology in the cruise ship industry
To support IASARC’s lifesaving mission now | Donate
Follow IASARC | LinkedIn
