Fishing Safety Success Story: Man, This Could Be It

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2019-163, September 2019
For Everyone

About

Lobstermen have the highest number of fatal falls overboard among commercial fishermen in the Northeast U.S. from 2010-2014. NONE of the victims were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) when they drowned. In the fall of 2016, Gerry fell overboard while mooring his lobster boat; he wasn’t wearing a PFD. Water filled his oilskins and he was unable to re-board his boat. He struggled in the water for 15 minutes before being rescued by his brother. He’s now a vocal advocate for the necessity of PFDs when working on or around the water.

Format: MP4
Language: English (US)
Developed by: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Audio Description Transcript Low Resolution Video

Others in this series

Fishing Safety Success Story: My Life Vest Saved Me
Recounts the story of a fishermen wearing a life vest who survived a fall overboard.
Fishing Safety Success Story: I Reached Over and Hit the E-Stop
Explains how a crew used an emergency stop on their deck winch to prevent an injury.
Fishing Safety Success Story: The More You Wear It, The Better Off You Are
Describes how a lobsterman survived a fall overboard while wearing a life vest.

Suggested citation

NIOSH [2019]. Fishing Safety Success Story: Man, This Could Be It. By Teske T. Spokane, WA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2019-163 https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2019163

Related resources

Safety Guidelines: Falls Overboard
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Content Source:
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health