Suicide At Sea – A Growing Problem?

5 Overboards in 18 Days: this was the headline from Jim Walker’s Cruise Law News this morning. Now I have followed Jim for quite some time on his blog and facebook as he has some valid points such as,”Why don’t all cruise ships have an automatic overboard detection system?”, however just lately he has become abusive when people on his blog do not agree with him and have suggested that people simply do not fall overboard!

I have to say I am not sure how you fall overboard, what I do know is that the World Health Organisation have stated that in the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60%.  WHO estimated that 1 million people die globally each year from suicide which equates to 1 person every 40 seconds somewhere in the world.

As disturbing as it is people do take their lives at sea. Recent reports from Princess Cruises have confirmed that a Junior Waiter jumped overboard on the Grand Princess in the early hours of this morning approximately 1000 miles out to sea from Hawaii. Star Princess, Grand Princess and an unidentified cargo ship are searching but I do not think the outcome is going to be good. A C-130 Hercules aircraft, courtesy of the US Coast Guard,  is also en route to assist.

Video footage has shown the waiter climbing the rails and jumping, and although an automatic overboard detection system would allow the bridge to know earlier this had happened, anyone in the industry knows that you cannot just stop a ship dead in the water, and to turn the ship to it’s original position also takes time by which I am afraid the chances of finding the young man are literally non existent.

Having some experience of suicide, as I worked for several years as a volunteer with the Samaritans, I know how desperate people can be and also how they can hide how they feel from friends and family. Suicide to them is their only way out. It’s the only way for them to stop how they are feeling. It’s hard on the family left behind as they often have no idea that their loved one was feeling this way.

People take their lives every day by overdose, car crash, jumping off bridges so why jumping off a cruise ship is sensationalised I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because a cruise is something that is supposed to be enjoyed and the thought that someone often plans this is how they are going to die is too distressing.

What I do know is that my heart goes out to the families who have lost a loved one at sea and the fact that sometimes they do not even have their loved ones body returned to them.

I can also understand Jim Walker’s frustration as to why many passenger ships do not have this automatic detection system in place but would it save lives? I don’t think so.

Anyway tonight I will be saying a prayer for a lost crew member and his family and loved ones and hope that wherever he is he finds peace.

Finally if you ever need help please contact one of the following organisations. Do not suffer in silence.

www.samaritans.org

www.befrienders.org