Limit of responsibility to assist?

[shemandr]

"The liability of a rescuer of a person at sea is well developed under admiralty law."
Please elaborate. Just a summary: but we would all be enlightened by understanding what responsibilities exist.

 

[williamtl]

"The liability of a rescuer of a person at sea is well developed under admiralty law."
Please elaborate. Just a summary: but we would all be enlightened by understanding what responsibilities exist.

Summary (I'm guessing you meant short), from a lawyer, are you kidding?

Basically, you have no liability for inaction, but once you commit, you can't stop (unless the situation changes) or make it worse. That's a very rough paraphrase and as all things legal depends upon the specific facts and backgrounds of the rescuer(s). Note that is also very similar to the duty in most US States.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Summary (I'm guessing you meant short), from a lawyer, are you kidding?

Basically, you have no liability for inaction, but once you commit, you can't stop (unless the situation changes) or make it worse. That's a very rough paraphrase and as all things legal depends upon the specific facts and backgrounds of the rescuer(s). Note that is also very similar to the duty in most US States.

I think this means that if, as "rescuer", you're as clueless about navigation as the victim and give misinformation that gets him more lost, you might be excused. But if it can be proven that you know the difference between a compass course and a magnetic course, and give the victim a magnetic one, as I did, and the guy gets more lost b/c he has a big iron something on his console that confounds his compass, then I might be found "negligent" b/c I did not swing his boat for him before giving my advice. So, the answer "east" still sounds better to me than 076 deg M!! Hey, ribbing aside; thanks for your comments. Very interesting!

KG