Then you may get washed overboard, regardless.

When you move behind the wheel on our boat, which has a similar sized wheel, one has a choice of deciding to go "high" (to windward) or "low" (to leeward).

If you want to stay clipped-on, we use double teathers (required at night, off-shore). I supply a 3' and 6' combination teather with a PFD inflatable harness. We have four strongpoints, you can clip to. As one goes accross the traveller, I recommend clipping to the mainsheet on the traveller as a good secure location as one transfers accross to the aft of the wheel.

When someone is at the helm, they can clip to the strong points (Wichard fold-downs) on each side of the helm.

If I had a hand on our 6', or so, wheel -- then I'd feel better hanging on to it. Clearly you can sit comfortably with as good a grip as possilbe on either edge of the cockpit seats; and, you can stand behind, along-side, or in-between.

In this case, it appears that they would have been relatively "level" with the wind on the rear quarter, on a deep reach. Then they caught a huge "slapper" that turned into a cockpit clearing event.

In retrospect, not being clipped-in offshore, is just risky. For all but a few of us, thats not unusual -- but this sad case is evidence that it can be sadly fatal.