A guest on a charter yacht has fallen and is suspected of having a head injury but is conscious and talking. As the OOW with basic first aid training, what is the most appropriate course of action?

A. Give the guest a strong painkiller and let them sleep it off

B. Allow the guest to rest in their cabin and check on them in the morning

C. Keep the guest still, monitor their level of consciousness and vital signs regularly, avoid unnecessary movement, and seek medical advice via telemedicine (e.g. CIRM/Radio Medical) or arrange evacuation if symptoms worsen

D. Move the guest immediately to the nearest port without contacting medical advice

A. There is no real difference — the terms are interchangeable and either is equally suitable for any situation

B. A lifejacket is designed to turn an unconscious wearer face-up and keep the airway clear of the water (often using greater, sometimes inflatable, buoyancy); a buoyancy aid provides flotation support for a conscious person (e.g. for water sports) but is not designed to guarantee a face-up position if the wearer is unconscious — for offshore passages, a lifejacket (not merely a buoyancy aid) is the appropriate choice

C. Lifejackets are only required for vessels over 24 metres in length

D. A buoyancy aid is always more buoyant than a lifejacket

A. Send one crew member into the water to assist before any other action is taken

B. Continue on the original course and call the coastguard only once the vessel reaches port

C. Shout "Man overboard!" to alert all crew, throw a lifebuoy/danbuoy toward the casualty, note the time and approximate position (and mark it on GPS/plotter if fitted), designate a crew member to keep the casualty in sight continuously, and manoeuvre the vessel back toward the casualty using a recovery method appropriate to the vessel (e.g. figure-of-eight or quick-stop for a sailing vessel), preparing recovery equipment as you approach

D. Immediately stop the engine and wait for the casualty to swim back to the vessel