73 year old woman dropped into freezing seas

[Victoria Sponge]

A British grandmother has been dropped into the freezing North Sea during a bungled rescue mission to remove her from a cruise ship.

She was aboard the Ocean Princess cruise ship on a tour of Norway when she fell ill and had be transported to a Norwegian hospital.

While the rescue team was moving her on a stretcher to the rescue boat she fell into the sea — which was about -3C. It took rescuers eight minutes before she was retrieved from the water.

Just when you thought your day couldn't get any worse. Poorly on holiday, then dropped into the sea, strapped to a stretcher.

How awful, I do hope the lady makes a swift and full recovery.

 

[Lakesailor]

I saw that report on the local news. It seems she floated free of the stretcher. That's what it looked like in the picture anyway. They said it was 4 minutes, but who is timing these events when they happen?
It makes you wonder how often they practice these kinds of drills and if there is a high turn-round of crew, if most of the current bunch have ever practiced the procedure.
No doubt some of the salty dogs on here can tell us the requirements.
It wouldn't have made your holiday the best you'd had would it? The report also said she was diabetic and the events brought on a problem related to that condition.

Dail Wail

 

[Seajet]

I'd like to think if I was one of the 'helpers' in that situation I'd have the guts to grab a lifering and jump after her...some will say that's giving another person to rescue, but it seems very lucky she floated so well unaided !

 

[taz]

I bet she soon forgot about her illness

At least she`ll be the topic of discussion at her local

 

[Searush]

S'funny that, people on here keep telling me that cold shock like that's fatal for a fit young person.

 

[Norman_E]

She was lucky that she floated well and did not die of cold shock, both are probably the result of her being (shall we say?) a bit overweight. What shocked me was that they were attempting to pass her between boats on a stretcher and there did not appear to be anything to support the stretcher if any of the holders let go. Could not a high sided cruise boat rig any ropes from high level as a backup?

 

[Mark-1]

S'funny that, people on here keep telling me that cold shock like that's fatal for a fit young person.

+1.

 

[savageseadog]

Her husband was "helping"

 

[Deleted member 36384]

.... It makes you wonder how often they practice these kinds of drills and if there is a high turn-round of crew, if most of the current bunch have ever practiced the procedure....

Its a good point you make. On my drilling rigs we practice all sorts of casualty evacuations: enclosed space, heights, switch rooms, vehicle crashes, plane crashes. There is a common finding from the drill reports, poor stretcher control when transferring a casualty. This year we have a hired some paramedics to train the local crew in stretcher handling. It appears to to be such a simple procedure but it usually involves 4 people co-ordinating their actions rather poorly!

 

[captainscott]

73 year old womem etc

reminds me of when my ship mate little Barry aged 65 dropped over the stern in mid Feb and minus 3c, took me 20 minutes to get him back on board and 3 hours in the pub with free drinks! Sorry Barry Crossland from Staffordshire!

 

[Seajet]

Well if he will go sailing with someone called Captain Scott, he should have seen that one coming...

 

[Bodach na mara]

What puzzles me is why they were trying to do such a risky transfer in the first place. Why did the Ocean Countess not simply head into the nearest port? Other cruise liners do that.

In an interview on the BBC News at Ten, a spokesman for the cruise organizers said "they practice such medivac situations and it seems that the procedure was followed to a T." So dropping the casualty into the oggin is normal procedure then?

 

[Seajet]

That's nothing - you should see what they do to you if you complain !

 

[lufc71]

...Why did the Ocean Countess not simply head into the nearest port?...

Thats possibly because it was so far from the nearest port; er... almost 2NM!!

Wonder why they don't use the Breechers Buoy anymore?

 

[nimbusgb]

What puzzles me is why they were trying to do such a risky transfer in the first place. Why did the Ocean Countess not simply head into the nearest port? Other cruise liners do that.

In an interview on the BBC News at Ten, a spokesman for the cruise organizers said "they practice such medivac situations and it seems that the procedure was followed to a T." So dropping the casualty into the oggin is normal procedure then?

No. But speaks volumes for some procedure dreamed up by someone in an office somewhere!

 

[Lakesailor]

What puzzles me is why they were trying to do such a risky transfer in the first place. Why did the Ocean Countess not simply head into the nearest port? Other cruise liners do that.

Dear me.
I linked to the daily Mail article in my post at the top of the page.

But they were reluctant to go into port because they were already running late and it would have cost extra and caused further delays.’

 

[Badgers]

Her husband was "helping"

Bet the insurance was paid up!!
LOL

 

[Cookee]

Talking of brilliant seamanship I was watching the Docuthing on Ark Royal (catching up with taped stuff from being away) and watched the crew of the rescue RIB run over the MOB dummy - I was so not impressed!

 

[Lakesailor]

They have a combined services emergency excercise on Windermere involving the ferry now and then. One year the MOBs were boilersuits stuffed with straw.
A RIB arriving (can't remember if it was the Police or the Warden) ran over a couple of them spraying straw all over the shop.

Very graphic.

 

[Seajet]

Well, all the publicity is probably having the desired effect, people will sure think twice before presenting sick !