lifejackets, Mandatory ?

derekh

derekh

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 Aug 2001
Messages
399
Location
n.ireland
Visit site
Last night @ 21.00 hrs the CG got a 999 call to report someone having fallen into the water in lough Neigh (N.Ireland) from a cabin cruser. This morning they are still searching. When he fell in, the remaining occupants in the boat threw in life jackets for him to hold onto, obviously without effect.
The South of Ireland a few years ago passed a law making it a legal requirement to use a lifejacket.
Is it not time that a law in introduced to protect people in boats who, in some cases mustn't understand the posibility of a life threatning situation ?
 
Is it not time that a law in introduced to protect people in boats who, in some cases mustn't understand the posibility of a life threatning situation ?

NO
 
FFS, natural selection in progress.

NO WE DO NOT WANT ANY MORE NANNY STATE LAWS

Should we be made to wear a crash helmet when int the loft or shed in case we bang our heads? NO

Should we wear asbestos clothes when cooking on a barby? NO

Sorry Longjohn, meant to reply to th OP
 
Someone foolish enough to be without a life-jacket after dark on a freezing December night when wearing one is voluntary is also capable of breaking any law including one apparently passed in his own interest.
I spent the summer in SW Ireland where lifejackets must be worn on a craft less than 23 feet. On long dinghy rides in rough conditions I was happy to wear one, but more often I was in a sheltered bay, surrounded by large numbers of other craft, yet still I had to put one on, and carry it around all day once I got ashore, merely because someone had decided there should be a law on the matter.
 
Dont get me wrong. Those of us who are experienced boaters know when to make our choices and I believe that choice should be our own. It is my choice to wear a life jacket while on board and I insist my 4 kids wear them as well. We have a 10 year old crew member whose job it is allocate jackets when we board the boat. I had a situation a few years ago when one of the kids fell overboard while securing the dingy. He had a life jacket on and what could potentially have been a situation was in fact a good laugh for all concerned.
It amazes me that anyone would go out at night in freezing conditions without one. Any persons life is precious and If someone hasn't the wit to protect themselves It is good to investigate options to help preserve life.
But, lets also spare a thought for the casualty and his family. That could be any one of us if we were to loose respect for our seas and waterways.
 
[ QUOTE ]
If someone hasn't the wit to protect themselves It is good to investigate options to help preserve life

[/ QUOTE ]
According to the MCGA the casualty was lost from an Aquador where only one of the range is less than the 23 foot limit for mandatory lifejacket wearing in the Irish Republic.

So your wish to "investigate options to preserve life" would probably have had no effect in this case.

Likewise the drink/sailing laws (see separate thread). There are plenty of people who drown each year with alcohol in their bloodstream. Last night's casualty may be one of them. Some well-intentioned people would no doubt suggest that a law to prevent the use of a vessel while drunk would prevent some of these losses without stopping to think about the problems of definition and enforcement and the impact on thousands of people who enjoy their hobby without mishap.

All together now: "We don't need more legislation..."
 
one of the most ridiculous lines heard from campaigners for any kind of legislation-
'if it saves one life, it's worth it'
so bring back the guy with the red flag in front of the car-hey presto-3000 lives a year saved!
more nannying from the state NOT REQUIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
NO MORE LAWS... NO more nanny state.......jeez .... its common sense.....good practice.......whatever As has been said already we dont need any more rules..... rant over!!
 
The others apparently had time to throw him lifejackets to use as a raft, but that didn't give them enough time to recover him from the water, so its doubtful whether actually wearing one would have made any difference. Once they had lost sight of him in the dark the effects of the cold weather/water could really only have one outcome even though he was apparently only 150 yards from shore. The whole incident doesn't really reinforce those who claim that wearing lifejackets should be mandatory - this is an instance where wearing one probably wouldn't have helped due to other factors.
 
Cold water shock would have been sufficient for him to be unable to grab the lifejackets being thrown towards him - assuming they were landing close enough to grab.

He may have had a heart attack or a stroke but a post mortem would have shown that if they had a body.

Probability is he drowned because of lack of buoyancy.

If he had been wearing a lifejacket it would have inflated and brought him to the surface.

Now the family don't even have a body to prove he is dead. No body to bury. No death certificate to be able to sort out his financial affairs - until they go to courta and pay some lawyers a few grand to prove he's dead!

Should lifejackets be mandatory? - well if they had been then in this case there's a chance he could still be alive.

According to some figures I saw from a panel from the MCA/RYA/RNLI etc - 29 people died last year who may not have died if wearing a lifejacket.

Perhaps the moral of this tragic story is it makes sense to wear your lifejacket whether it's law or not.

Shorn
 
I have to agree with the majority here. NO ! If i want to wear one then i will,i dont want to be told. I'm sensible enough to know when the conditions are such that it would be wise to wear one. I have no problem giving one to someone who asks for one and all kids wear one regardless on my boat.
It needs to be down to the individuals to make that decision depending on the current weather situations.
Like others said, who's the fool to go out on a cold night without one.
No more laws please.
 
It's now a legal requirement to wear a seat belt in the UK.

The same argument was given when the seatbelt law was proposed - and, indeed could still be said that the choice should be that of the individual. The perception was that you were safe in the car without a seat belt.

There seems to be the same perception about wearing lifejackets. The truth is you are more likely to survive with a lifejacket on than off.

Just because we don't like being told what to do doesn't make it it a bad idea.

Shorn
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top