Call 911! Oh, I forgot. We're offshore.

If you take your boat offshore or to areas where medical assistance beyond first aid is not readily available it’s a good idea to take an emergency medicine seminar/course that teaches you more than basic and advanced first aid. All boaters should take a basic first aid course (basic first aid may be combined with a CPR course), and advanced first aid as well, depending on where their boating takes them. An offshore medicine seminar/course will give you advanced techniques for dealing with medical emergencies and severe injuries, and perhaps enable you to save a life while you wait for professional assistance. Look for a course that covers medical emergencies occurring at sea; wilderness medicine usually deals mainly with emergencies on land, and being on the water has some hazards which may require different procedures. Find offshore medicine seminars/courses from an Internet search, advertisements in the boating press, and the websites of various boating organizations. See also “Crew and Health” in the Mariner’s Guide Topic Index, p. 517, for entries related to crew health and emergencies.