PWC PWC Emergency Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the correct procedure for a PWC operator if they suspect a passenger has suffered a spinal injury after a fall?
- Pull the person out of the water as quickly as possible
- Keep the person still and horizontal, supporting the head and neck until professional help arrives (Correct answer)
- Have the person float freely until help arrives
- Sit the person upright to help with breathing
Correct answer: Keep the person still and horizontal, supporting the head and neck until professional help arrives
Moving a person with a suspected spinal injury can cause permanent paralysis; keeping the head, neck, and body in alignment and minimizing movement until EMS arrives is critical.
Question 2: What is VHF Channel 16 used for and why is it important for PWC operators?
- Weather updates only
- The international distress and calling frequency monitored by the Coast Guard and other vessels (Correct answer)
- Marina reservation channel
- Used only by commercial vessels
Correct answer: The international distress and calling frequency monitored by the Coast Guard and other vessels
VHF Channel 16 is the international distress frequency monitored 24/7 by the USCG; a MAYDAY call on Channel 16 is the fastest way to summon emergency assistance.
Question 3: What is a MAYDAY call and when should a PWC operator use it?
- A request for non-emergency assistance only
- A distress call used when there is immediate danger to life or the vessel is sinking (Correct answer)
- A signal used to hail another vessel for communication
- A weather alert broadcast
Correct answer: A distress call used when there is immediate danger to life or the vessel is sinking
MAYDAY is the highest priority distress call, used only when life is in immediate danger; it is spoken three times followed by vessel name, position, nature of distress, and number of persons aboard.
Question 4: What is a PAN-PAN call used for in maritime communications?
- Same as MAYDAY — immediate life threat
- An urgency call for situations that are serious but not immediately life-threatening (Correct answer)
- A routine weather inquiry
- A request for a marina berth
Correct answer: An urgency call for situations that are serious but not immediately life-threatening
PAN-PAN (spoken three times) is an urgency signal used for serious situations — medical concerns, mechanical failure — that may develop into an emergency but are not yet life-threatening.
Question 5: How should you treat a person who has inhaled water and is showing signs of secondary drowning?
- Let them rest — symptoms will resolve on their own
- Seek immediate medical attention even if they initially seem fine, as symptoms can be delayed (Correct answer)
- Administer CPR immediately regardless of consciousness
- Give them warm fluids and monitor at home
Correct answer: Seek immediate medical attention even if they initially seem fine, as symptoms can be delayed
Secondary (dry) drowning involves delayed respiratory distress from fluid inhaled into the lungs; symptoms can appear hours later and require immediate medical evaluation.
Question 6: What should you do if your PWC runs aground in a remote area?
- Immediately apply full throttle to pull free
- Signal for help, turn off the engine to prevent damage, check for hull damage, and only attempt to free the craft manually when safe (Correct answer)
- Abandon the craft and swim to shore
- Rock the craft violently to break free
Correct answer: Signal for help, turn off the engine to prevent damage, check for hull damage, and only attempt to free the craft manually when safe
Gunning the engine on a grounded PWC can ingest debris and damage the impeller; turning off the engine, assessing the situation, and manually pushing free is safest.
PWC PWC Emergency Procedures 2
What is the correct procedure for a PWC operator if they suspect a passenger has suffered a spinal injury after a fall?