A breakthrough in maritime safety technology could significantly improve survival rates for passengers falling overboard.
The new system, called ZOE, is capable of detecting both adults and children falling overboard from cruise ships within four seconds.
It provides an immediate playback loop of the moments before and after the incident and even works in darkness.
Currently, it can take hours for the alarm to be raised when someone goes overboard, leading to a possible search area of tens of thousands of square miles.
There is a 20 per cent chance of retrieval within the first 25 minutes, but nearly a 0 per cent chance of retrieval after an hour.
However Zelim, the UK–based company behind the technology, said tests with its device resulted in nearly a 100 per cent rescue rate.
Mike Collier, vice president of cruise at Zelim, said: ‘Speed and certainty are everything in a man–overboard situation. The priority is knowing exactly what has happened and when, so crews can act immediately to maximise the chances of rescue or recovery.
‘Currently, incidents can go unnoticed for hours, with serious consequences for families, passengers, crew and rescue services. This technology gives operators a system they can trust, with alerts they know are genuine.’
The new system is capable of detecting both adults and children falling overboard from cruise ships within four seconds
It provides an immediate playback loop of the moments before and after the incident and even works in darkness
While man–overboard incidents are rare, they are often fatal.
Of the estimated 30 million people who take a cruise every year, around 21 people fall overboard, with survival rates at around 20 per cent.
Incidents typically occur late at night, when visibility and chances of someone seeing a fall are limited, making rapid automated detection all the more critical.
‘Survival depends on immediate detection,’ Mr Collier said.
‘On average, crews have under 11 minutes to respond and in extreme conditions, just four to five minutes. Every second is crucial.’
Using advanced computer vision and video analytics, ZOE continuously monitors a vessel’s surroundings through a network of optical and thermal cameras.
It automatically recognises when a person enters the water and alerts the crew within seconds.
The system is designed to operate continuously in daylight, darkness and adverse weather, including rain, snow and rough seas, helping to ensure that overboard incidents do not go unnoticed regardless of conditions.
Crucially, the technology can also continuously track someone once they are in the water and as the boat moves away
The system automatically recognises when a person enters the water and alerts the crew within seconds
Crucially, the technology can also continuously track someone once they are in the water.
It maintains visual contact and provides precise location information throughout the rescue operation, reducing the time spent searching and increasing the likelihood of a successful recovery.
Since many man overboard incidents are unwitnessed until long after the event, the company argues that immediate automated detection and continuous tracking can significantly reduce search areas, minimise disruption to operations and help rescue teams respond while the casualty is still within the critical survival window.
ZOE has been tested over a 90–day period in challenging winter conditions aboard the Ambition cruise ship, operated by Ambassador Cruise Line.
Jamie Bartnett from International Cruise Victims said: ‘This advancement represents a significant step forward in passenger and crew safety.
‘It is not feasible to simply turn a cruise liner around, but knowing precisely when and where someone has fallen allows smaller rescue vessels to be deployed quickly, increasing the likelihood of a successful outcome.’
Zelim’s CEO Sam Mayall founded the company after a personal loss made him realise that sometimes, people can fall overboard without being detected for far too long.
Traditional watchkeeping relies on crew members spotting an incident. However, most cruise lines now have high–tech sensor systems such as thermal cameras and radar to spot if someone goes overboard.
ZOE continuously monitors a vessel’s surroundings through a network of optical and thermal cameras
Depending on the size of the cruise ship, Zelim says between 12 and 26 cameras are needed for full 360° coverage.
The ZOE system has now achieved certification, meaning it has passed international safety standards.
‘Achieving certification is a landmark moment for our technology and for the industry,’ Mr Mayall said.
‘It’s taken over a decade of development and rigorous testing to demonstrate ZOE meets the ISO standard required and delivers both high detection accuracy and a very low false alarm rate – even in the most challenging conditions.’
