This article is one in a series offering tips on boating skills and seamanship prepared for The Citizen by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Nothing can be more frightening to those on board a vessel than the cry of “man overboard.” When this happens, the skipper may hear cries of anguish, commands to stop the boat, screaming and hollering. This is confusing and valuable time may be wasted before the skipper understands that someone went overboard.

Before casting off the lines, a good skipper briefs his passengers on emergency procedures, including the “person” overboard situation. Learning to use a commonly understood term to describe this situation, will save confusion and time when this situation arises.

Not only the passengers may get excited, so may the skipper. A fellow boater described how he found himself in a rather embarrassing person overboard situation. When his spouse fell in the water, he rushed to help her, only to trip and fall overboard himself. And their 31-foot cruiser kept going without anyone on board.

Luckily nearby boaters came to the couple's aid, and they all rushed to catch the cruiser. They caught it!

I was also informed of an incident which I shared with you in an earlier column. When faced with a young child overboard, that skipper put the boat in reverse and almost ran over the child in the water.

What transpires during the first few moments when someone falls overboard may determine the outcome. The skipper must consider the safety of those on board, the safety of the person overboard and the potential for sinking the boat and act accordingly.

The first person who sees someone fall overboard must sound the alarm. Keep shouting man overboard until the skipper hears you. Point to the person overboard and keep the person in sight. Maintain constant sight.

If the person falling overboard is not visible and cannot be located after a short search, call for help.

Upon hearing the alarm, the skipper stops the boat. If the boat has a GPS, punch the waypoint to record the location.

If the victim is visible throw him/her a life ring buoy (a type IV PFD) attached to a line. Secure the other end on board. The person in the water can grab the ring buoy and he can be pulled to the boat.

Approach the person in water from downwind, very slowly. Place your engine in neutral to prevent the props from hitting the victim. Ideally, the engine(s) should be turned off since some props continue to turn even with the engine in neutral. On the other hand, if the wind and current is strong, you may wish to keep the engine running to maintain control.

If the boat has a boarding ladder and the person in the water is not injured, recovery can be easy.

Smaller boats without a boarding ladder should retrieve the victim over the bow to keep the boat from capsizing. On larger boats the stern can be used. Still larger boats have swim platforms and boarding ladders.

Things can get complicated if the person hits some part of the boat as he was falling overboard. An injured person may not be able to help much in his recovery. The skipper should then decide whether to have someone go overboard to help the victim. This can be risky. The skipper must weigh all the risks and act accordingly. And don't hesitate to call for help.

U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary patrol specialists are trained extensively and undergo annual training using various eventualities. And we are always confronted with the question: Do you bring an injured person on board without causing more injury?

Skippers can learn more about rescue techniques in person overboard situations by enrolling in a boating safety class offered by the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

In addition, the local flotilla would like to offer to boaters a person overboard workshop, if there is interest in such an endeavor.

In all of this, the importance of wearing a PFD becomes clear. It will help the victim float and even if injured, it will help in his survival.

John E. Keshishoglou is commander of Ithaca Flotilla 22