A system and method are used for dispatching a rescue flotation device to an individual who has fallen overboard from a ship. A water-activated transmitter is carried or worn by each and every passenger on a given ship. Upon detecting moisture, the transmitter is activated to send a data signal to a radio signal receiver on the ship. The contents of the data signal may be the location and/or coordinates of the victim, as determined by triangulation of the signal, a GPS receiver and/or radar. Upon transmission of the data, a rescue flotation device or vessel is automatically deployed from a portion of the vessel into the water. The rescue device may be dispatched from a portion of the ship nearest to the determined location of the victim, and/or the rescue device may be self-propelled such that it navigates to the approximate location of victim.