A vessel control system for a marine vessel propelled by at least one propulsion device, the system comprising: a wireless lanyard system including: at least one fob (20, 22) configured to be worn by an individual on the marine vessel, wherein the at least one fob (20, 22) includes an operator fob and at least one passenger fob; a helm transceiver configured to be arranged at helm area of the marine vessel and configured to receive radio signals from the at least one fob (20, 22); a controller configured to: detect, based on communications between each of the at least one fob (20, 22) and the helm transceiver, that each of the at least one fob (20, 22) is present on the marine vessel; determine that at least one missing fob of the at least one fob (20, 22) is no longer detected at the helm transceiver; generate a man overboard event when the at least one missing fob is not detected; wherein the vessel control system is configured to automatically activate one or more search assistance functions based on the man overboard event, wherein the automatically-activated search assistance functions include at least one of turning on at least one searchlight, turning on at least one underwater light, controlling one or more lights to generate an SOS alert, dropping an anchor, reducing a stereo volume, and turning off a stereo; and wherein the search assistance functions activated depend on whether the at least one missing fob includes the operator fob or the passenger fob, the vessel control system being characterised in that, if the at least one missing fob includes the operator fob, two different types of search assistance functions are activated depending on whether or not the presence on the marine vessel of one or more of the at least one passenger fobs is detected. a wireless lanyard system including: at least one fob (20, 22) configured to be worn by an individual on the marine vessel, wherein the at least one fob (20, 22) includes an operator fob and at least one passenger fob; a helm transceiver configured to be arranged at helm area of the marine vessel and configured to receive radio signals from the at least one fob (20, 22); a controller configured to: detect, based on communications between each of the at least one fob (20, 22) and the helm transceiver, that each of the at least one fob (20, 22) is present on the marine vessel; determine that at least one missing fob of the at least one fob (20, 22) is no longer detected at the helm transceiver; generate a man overboard event when the at least one missing fob is not detected; detect, based on communications between each of the at least one fob (20, 22) and the helm transceiver, that each of the at least one fob (20, 22) is present on the marine vessel; determine that at least one missing fob of the at least one fob (20, 22) is no longer detected at the helm transceiver; generate a man overboard event when the at least one missing fob is not detected; wherein the vessel control system is configured to automatically activate one or more search assistance functions based on the man overboard event, wherein the automatically-activated search assistance functions include at least one of turning on at least one searchlight, turning on at least one underwater light, controlling one or more lights to generate an SOS alert, dropping an anchor, reducing a stereo volume, and turning off a stereo; and wherein the search assistance functions activated depend on whether the at least one missing fob includes the operator fob or the passenger fob, the vessel control system being characterised in that, if the at least one missing fob includes the operator fob, two different types of search assistance functions are activated depending on whether or not the presence on the marine vessel of one or more of the at least one passenger fobs is detected.