Marina man overboard

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I think of myself as being rather wise as to the things that could happen around water. Precautions I've taken over a lifetime of being afloat have kept me and others I've supervised, safe. Yet in the dark with very dim lighting I fell through a gaping hole in a jetty a few years back.

Staff had been doing work and left notices and a barrier, so I went to the opposite side of the jetty with no barrier or sign thinking it safe.
I fell some 4-5 feet onto a dry ledge in full winter clothing and was shaken and a bit bruised.
I did report it the next day to the owner who was livid, as he claimed he had told staff to barrier the whole lot off for a day and a night and to leave a safe walkway through in one area.
Looking at the scene that next day I was lucky as the ledge was narrow and to either side there was a 20foot drop where I would have either been in the water or into deep silt if the tide were out.

 

[SimbaDog]

Note to self: attach a short line to the stern ladder so that it can be lowered by someone in the water. You never know.

Yes, a good idea, I have a line with a loop on the end that sits on the aft end of the bathing platform, it connects to a spring release clip that is holding the boarding ladder up. Just need to remember not to be directly under the ladder when I pull the release

 

[mick]

The essence of H&S as defined in the ISO1800(IIRC) standard is a commonsense approach to risk. As there is now a history of drownings in marinas, the management should include the risk in their assessment and ladders will become the norm. Meantime a berth holders' association is likely to have more clout!

Rob.

Well said. Good to see we have people who don't just have the "Bleedin' Health and Safety " mentality.

 

[simon barefoot]

I often swim from my boat when in the marina. Now I'm fit, strong, healthy and young(ish!), good swimmer, fairly nimble etc etc. If anyone can lift themselves from the water onto a pontoon I can.

BUT...

Jeez it's difficult!

There's no way I could do it fully clothed, and in the winter?? Doubt I could even get onto a bathing platform if there was no ladder down. And the chances of getting someone elses down, in the cold, dark, shocked, unfamiliar ladder etc? No Chance!

Trouble is, persuading marina owners to spend out on installing ladders voluntarily. I doubt they're cheap. But if H+S get involved we'll have handrails and gates and lifelines and rescue boats on standby 24hrs a day.....

 

[BlueChip]

In Haslar Marina, about 7pm on a cold and dark Sunday evening a few years ago. We'd just returned from the WOA Christmas Rally, cleared up the boat and locked up. SWMBO was moving the trolley loaded with our gear and stepped back off the pontoon straight into the water. Our phones were in her handbag which went in with her.

She doesnt swim, but managed to hang onto one of the mooring lines. I tried for sometime to pull her out but the clothes she was wearing were stretchy and the angles were all wrong to get a good purchase, the danger was I would soon be in the water too. She was recovering from an elbow operation and had little strength to help herself.

What to do? Shout obviously but the marina was deserted others having long gone home. Leave her and run for a ladder? I didnt know where the nearest ladder was.

My instict was to hold on to her as she was getting very cold and weak, the pontoon is a long one and to go for help or a ladder would take time, would she be there when I got back?

By good fortune a large power boat was leaving and heard our calls, he had no idea where we were but once he learnt our berth number he called up the marina office for help, they arrived quickly in the golf buggy and from then on we were in good hands.

With hindsight there were many things I could and should have done, but they all involved leaving her and this went against every instinct.

It's harder to get someone out of the water onto a pontoon than you think, in the cold and dark even more so. How would you get out of the water, could your wife pull you out? Where is your nearest moveable safety ladder? How would you call for help?

We now have a plan that we often discuss and refine, it might just help if this happens again.

 

[Cardo]

In Haslar Marina, about 7pm on a cold and dark Sunday evening a few years ago. We'd just returned from the WOA Christmas Rally, cleared up the boat and locked up. SWMBO was moving the trolley loaded with our gear and stepped back off the pontoon straight into the water. Our phones were in her handbag which went in with her.

She doesnt swim, but managed to hang onto one of the mooring lines. I tried for sometime to pull her out but the clothes she was wearing were stretchy and the angles were all wrong to get a good purchase, the danger was I would soon be in the water too. She was recovering from an elbow operation and had little strength to help herself.

What to do? Shout obviously but the marina was deserted others having long gone home. Leave her and run for a ladder? I didnt know where the nearest ladder was.

My instict was to hold on to her as she was getting very cold and weak, the pontoon is a long one and to go for help or a ladder would take time, would she be there when I got back?

By good fortune a large power boat was leaving and heard our calls, he had no idea where we were but once he learnt our berth number he called up the marina office for help, they arrived quickly in the golf buggy and from then on we were in good hands.

With hindsight there were many things I could and should have done, but they all involved leaving her and this went against every instinct.

It's harder to get someone out of the water onto a pontoon than you think, in the cold and dark even more so. How would you get out of the water, could your wife pull you out? Where is your nearest moveable safety ladder? How would you call for help?

We now have a plan that we often discuss and refine, it might just help if this happens again.

As a quick suggestion, most boats have life rings or similar on them. A good starting point may be to grab one off the nearest boat?

 

[jordanbasset]

When we were in Mahon Marina last summer heard a lot of shouting about 11pm at night. Went out and saw a chap had fallen into the water, transpired he had been climbing onto his boat over the bows, when steps he had fashioned gave way. Unfortunately for him he speared himself under the arm pit on part of the broken steps.
There were no steps to get out of the pontoon but luckily there was a boat moored stern to nearby with a sugar scoop and steps we could let down. Otherwise there was no way even two fairly fit guys could lift him out.
He was very lucky as it was a deep wound but atleast the water not too cold. Taken to hospital and all ended well.
I now check the nearest exit on a pontoon if I fo fall in and am also weary of some of the Heath-Robinson contraptions people have made to get on and off their boats.

 

[Novachris]

I work on a boat and up until about 2 years ago the only H/S advice on the pontoon/dock was not to wear your rucksack over two arms incase you fell in and couldnt wriggle free.

Now God help us if we dont wear when we walk to the ship, wait for it.... Hard hat, high viz waist coat, lifejacket, (must be the automatic type incase you bash your head when you fall in).

If i were to fall in i would have a job climbing any ladder back out.

 

[RichardS]

Health and Safety (i.e. HSE defined) applies only to health and safety at work (I've asked).

Not correct I'm afraid - in law the H&S responsibilities of the Marina operator extends to its employees, contractors, berth holders and visitors.

Richard

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I often swim from my boat when in the marina. Now I'm fit, strong, healthy and young(ish!), good swimmer, fairly nimble etc etc. If anyone can lift themselves from the water onto a pontoon I can.

BUT...

Jeez it's difficult!

There's no way I could do it fully clothed, and in the winter?? Doubt I could even get onto a bathing platform if there was no ladder down. And the chances of getting someone elses down, in the cold, dark, shocked, unfamiliar ladder etc? No Chance!

Trouble is, persuading marina owners to spend out on installing ladders voluntarily. I doubt they're cheap. But if H+S get involved we'll have handrails and gates and lifelines and rescue boats on standby 24hrs a day.....

InverKip Marina has a lot of emergency ladders along the pontoons. This follows a fatality a few years ago, I understand.

Unfortunately, this scenario is all too common.

 

[BlueChip]

One answer is for the marina to have a number of portable emergency ladders.
Fixed ladders are not a lot of use unless you are in the water right next to one.

A major problem is that there is no standard location of ladders. At the very least there should be one at each end of a pontoon and if its a long pontoon, one in the middle as well.

In the situation I was in I didnt know where to go in the dark to find a ladder, its a long pontoon and I could have wasted much time looking for one.

I did talk to the Haslar manager about this afterwards but he wasnt really interested.

 

[Graham_Wright]

Not correct I'm afraid - in law the H&S responsibilities of the Marina operator extends to its employees, contractors, berth holders and visitors.

Richard

That's very interesting and I will pass it on to the HSE officer in Bristol who gave me the advice. One of you must be wrong. Could you please advise which law?

 

[Graham_Wright]

One answer is for the marina to have a number of portable emergency ladders.

Who fetches it for you if you are the one in the water and no one is around?

 

[dleroc]

That's very interesting and I will pass it on to the HSE officer in Bristol who gave me the advice. One of you must be wrong. Could you please advise which law?

It's section 2 (employees) and Section 3/4 (others) of the Health and Safety at Work act 1974.

As an ex HS Enforcement Officer I have prosecuted under Section 3 in the past. The Marina owner has 'a duty to ensure the safety of his employees and others (the public, contractors etc) who might be affected by the way in which he (the employer) conducts his undertaking'.

The posters here who have described incidents where users have fallen into the water have a valid point and Marina owners need to be aware of this risk and take reasonable precautions.

 

[prr]

H&S begins with you.

When will you people ever learn. Health & Safety begins with you. Rule 1. Learn to swim! Also alcohol & boats dont go together..... A boat isn't a Caravan that goes on the water. Sure marinas can never have enought ladders & life rings. But you people need to stop moaning & start getting your **** together! Or else maybe, find a nice motor-home.....You're ruinning it the rest of us.

 

[Graham_Wright]

It's section 2 (employees) and Section 3/4 (others) of the Health and Safety at Work act 1974.

As an ex HS Enforcement Officer I have prosecuted under Section 3 in the past. The Marina owner has 'a duty to ensure the safety of his employees and others (the public, contractors etc) who might be affected by the way in which he (the employer) conducts his undertaking'.

The posters here who have described incidents where users have fallen into the water have a valid point and Marina owners need to be aware of this risk and take reasonable precautions.

Thanks; I'll pass it on (and duck!)

 

[alant]

When will you people ever learn. Health & Safety begins with you. Rule 1. Learn to swim! Also alcohol & boats dont go together..... A boat isn't a Caravan that goes on the water. Sure marinas can never have enought ladders & life rings. But you people need to stop moaning & start getting your **** together! Or else maybe, find a nice motor-home.....You're ruinning it the rest of us.

Ever fallen in clad in heavy clothes?

"Learn to swim"?
Don't make me laugh - are you for real, SBS or something?

Forget about flat still water, try swimming in any of the Hamble Marina's when the tide is running - no chance!

 

[Elessar]

Stopping to look at a weird construction on a pontoon, I stumbled and nearly fell in. The construction turned out to be a ladder, totally impractical and draped with copious quantities of weed.

A quick survey revealed very few additional ladders and set me thinking about recovery from the water. A pontoon freeboard is around half a metre and (certainly for me) would be impossible to mount from the water especially if heavily clothed. Furthermore, the decking runs at right angles to the length thus affording no handholds. I did find some yellow rope loops sprinkled around presumably to hold onto in the hope that your shouts for assistance would be heard.

The few ladders I saw were on the finger pontoon feeders, highly visible from the pontoon and completely obscured from the water unless your good? fortune caused you to fall in where you could spot them.

Is there any legislation requiring marina operators to provide adequate means of escape and, if so, who defines "adequate".

I can't e the only one to "lose my footing" on return from a run ashore and that was from a taverna into warm and shallow water!

in one of the Thames marinas, shepperton I think from memory, the berth holders who leave their ladders down or have ladders that can be deployed from the water tie a ribbon to the back of their boat. All you do is head for the nearest ribbon. Never more than 2 boats away.

 

[Seajet]

At Emsworth Marina, the last count I heard was 3 fatalities, all people who'd gone in during the winter, I got the impression at night & maybe involving alcohol.

That was years ago, so it may be more now !

Another snag with that ( otherwise very pleasant ) marina & others is that sometimes the pontoons float at quite an angle; combine that with ice, and I can think of a few times I've made it to the other end heart in mouth !

So as well as lack of ladders, ice on pontoons is another serious problem; I remember this came up here last winter, some mentioning the old urban myth ( ? ) that once an attempt to clear ice had been made it led to liability if anything nasty happened; I think the conclusion was that it's better to make the effort...

Edit; I went overboard from my boat on her mooring this season, turned the tender over after 40+ years playing with boats, 34 with this one; despite low freeboard, proper detachable lifelines already undone and a folding step on the transom, there's no way I could have got back on without a chum hauling me out, and I'm reasonably fit...

 

[prr]

Ever fallen in clad in heavy clothes?

"Learn to swim"?
Don't make me laugh - are you for real, SBS or something?

Forget about flat still water, try swimming in any of the Hamble Marina's when the tide is running - no chance!

Yes ive been in. Wearing an old WW2 duffle coat & steel toe cap boots.
Try swimming to the nearest point of safety down tide rather than up tide. If you can swim that is.