🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR Part 4 – Marine Casualties and Investigations • Definition of a marine casualty and reportable marine casualty • Who is considered the responsible person for reporting under Coast Guard rules

💭 Think About

• Think about who has immediate responsibility and knowledge of the casualty at the time it occurs, not who may own the vessel on paper. • Consider which role the Coast Guard can reasonably expect to be available and able to make a prompt report in an emergency or incident. • Ask yourself: does the regulation allow flexibility in who reports, or does it place the primary duty on a specific role tied to the vessel’s operation?

✅ Before You Answer

• Look up 46 CFR 4.05-1 – Notice of marine casualty and see exactly who is ‘required to notify’ the Coast Guard. • Verify whether the rule names one specific person, or whether it includes multiple possible reporters. • Confirm that the duty is connected to the person who was in charge of the vessel’s operation at the time of the casualty, not just the legal owner.