electrically energized 500-watt strip heaters placed in
The ship losing the individual should take the
the hammer boxes for at least 20 minutes before the
following measures immediately:
devices are operated will prevent freezing.
1. Drop a life buoy.
2.
Sound six short blasts on the ship's whistle.
MAN-OVERBOARD PROCEDURES
3. Report as rapidly as possible to the officer in
charge and to the ships in formation.
Man-overboard instructions should be included in
4. By day, hoist flag OSCAR where it can be
the MCM commander's operational order (OPORD).
seen best.
In addition, the ship must have a fully-equipped semi-
5. By night, display two pulsating red lights
rigid hull boat (SRHB) rigged ready for lowering during
arranged vertically, and fire one white flare.
all minesweeping operations.
The short length of the ship and its great inertia
The following procedures apply if a person falls
against a turn while it is performing sweeping
overboard during minesweeping operations:
operations render both rudder and engine maneuvering
useless for recovery of personnel and dangerous for the
The ship losing the individual and all other
ship. Such actions should not normally be considered.
minecraft within 4,000 yards must de-energize
A service/utility craft, mine destruction/recovery ship,
all influence gear to reduce the possibility of a
or a minesweeper without gear streamed (if available)
mine explosion.
should proceed immediately to the victim's assistance.
If none of these ships is available, the best-placed
The victim should be instructed to swim toward
minesweeper should be directed to make the rescue and
the sweep gear, which provides, in effect, a
to take the necessary sweep-handling action to render
ready-made life raft. The victim should be
the ship manageable enough to lower a boat in the
warned, however, to approach the gear with
vicinity of the victim.
caution.
12-5
