Duties after an accident, and helping people in danger

Accidents & assistance · Power & sail

The person in charge of a boat involved in a marine casualty must help those endangered by it and give name, address and boat identification to the others involved (46 U.S.C. 2303). Separately, every skipper must help anyone found at sea in danger of being lost, if it can be done without serious danger (46 U.S.C. 2304).

After a collision or other casualty

• Give the help needed to save each affected person from danger caused by the casualty, as far as you can without serious danger to your own boat or the people aboard (46 U.S.C. 2303(a)(1)).
• Give your name and address and your boat's identification to the person in charge of any other vessel involved, to anyone injured, and to the owner of any damaged property (46 U.S.C. 2303(a)(2)).
• The duty falls on the master or individual in charge, which on a recreational boat means the skipper (46 U.S.C. 2303(a)).
• Then check whether a written accident report is due (33 CFR 173.55).

Good Samaritan protection

• If you meet these duties, or help at a marine casualty in good faith, for free and without objection from the person helped, you are not liable for damages from that help if you act as a reasonable, prudent person would (46 U.S.C. 2303(c)).
• The protection covers acts or omissions in providing or arranging salvage, towing, medical treatment or other assistance (46 U.S.C. 2303(c)).

Helping people in danger at sea

• The master or individual in charge must assist any person found at sea in danger of being lost, as far as possible without serious danger to their own boat or the people aboard (46 U.S.C. 2304(a)(1)).
• This duty does not depend on your boat being involved in the incident (46 U.S.C. 2304).
• Only warships and U.S. government vessels used only for public service are exempt; recreational boats are covered (46 U.S.C. 2304(a)(2)).

Penalties and state rules

• Breaking either duty is a federal crime punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or (under section 2304) both. Under section 2303 the boat itself is also liable for the fine (46 U.S.C. 2303(b), 2304(b)).
• States add their own duties. Maryland requires the operator to stop, help and give identification; Washington makes leaving a collision that injures someone, without helping, a felony (RCW 79A.60.200).

The rules: 46 U.S.C. 2303 · 46 U.S.C. 2304 · 33 CFR 173.55

A plain-language summary of federal rules for recreational boats, checked against the rules’ own text and a second source, and written in our own words. It isn’t legal advice. States add rules of their own, and rules change — the links above go to the current official text.