I think that you will find that most merchant vessels struggle to recover someone from the water because of a very high freeboard. They are not generally equiped to launch a boat and recover it. If someone goes overboard in my area, they always ask for assistance for recovery.
Look at most vessels these days and they are equipped with lifeboats on slides, not much chance of getting that back on board easily; or liferafts.
Heads down, look out for the flak.