Mixed feelings about Flares

[Cerebus]

1.I've had people use flares to direct us to their position 3 or 4 times, but not in recent years, as everyone has GPS these days. So we usually get a lat and long in the tasking, and go straight to them.

2. I've never seen electronic flares in use. It's very rare to see flares at all.

3. Yes, these are UK waters.

4. 40 or 50

5. We used to get most of our calls during the summer months. However increasingly over recent years, we are getting more and more calls to despondent suicidal people, and these occur all through the year. They probably account for at least half of our calls now, and this is a trend that other stations are experiencing too. So many of our calls are shoreline searches, or standing off while the police talk to someone threatening to enter the water.

Interesting thank you.

 

[Cerebus]

I just read a snippet from the Italian captain of the yacht “Bayden Powell” that was anchored in front of the super yacht that sunk.

He talks of flares:

“And after the wind dropped down, we looked around us and didn’t see the yacht, also on the AIS (short-range ship tracking system) it was not visible. And a moment later, somebody of our guests saw a red flare, and then we saw a red flare ourselves, and we took our tender and went in that direction, and found 15 people in the life raft.”

Whilst I won’t be buying pyrotechnics for coastal sailing perhaps they have a place in a life raft that is on ocean passages because the people in the raft may have no ais, plb, epirb, vhf.

It appears pyrotechnics saved lives here or at the very least allowed rescuers to be alerted to a situation and location very quickly, rather than awaiting daylight.

 

[Roberto]

Indeed it is and indeed they are. The Virgin Mary was being taken for a stroll from the local Sorrento church accompanied by much fireworks. Also regularly set off in Capris and Naples as you state, based on recent visit. Naples was multiple times a night. Very hospitable people as well.

Yesterday Naples won the Serie A football championship, aka ''Scudetto''

 

[Daedelus]

The incident with a parachute flare was at a major stadium when some clown fired at the other side of the stadium, the flare whacked across, hit some poor soul in the chest and burnt a large hole right through him. Vague recollection it was in Cardiff.

 

[Habebty]

Hmmmm....

Liverpool parade live: Players near end of bus parade as fans let off flares and turn city red

 

[Habebty]

Listening to Talk Sport the other day, there are increasing calls for greater control to prevent flares in football grounds after many instances of burn injuries now being reported. Injuries caused by flares at matches are more common than you might think.

 

[Cerebus]

Listening to Talk Sport the other day, there are increasing calls for greater control to prevent flares in football grounds after many instances of burn injuries now being reported. Injuries caused by flares at matches are more common than you might think.

I would think injuries would be very common.

Just holding a flare let alone being next to one with dripping hot stuff.

I don’t know how security allows flares to get in.

 

[Mark-1]

I just read a snippet from the Italian captain of the yacht “Bayden Powell” that was anchored in front of the super yacht that sunk.

He talks of flares:



It appears pyrotechnics saved lives here or at the very least allowed rescuers to be alerted to a situation and location very quickly, rather than awaiting daylight.

In this case a torch would have worked fine. Or an electric flare. There was always going to be a search and they were safe in a life raft, even if it took an hour or two to find the LR which I doubt it would.

 

[Cerebus]

In this case a torch would have worked fine. Or an electric flare. There was always going to be a search and they were safe in a life raft, even if it took an hour or two to find the LR which I doubt it would.

Having re-read what the Italian skipper of Bayden Powell said, I am wondering if pyros did a better job than torch or electronic flare. I do not have an opinion either way, just questions.

(paraphrasing: we were both dragging anchor. Then we could no longer see the other vessel, just darkness, assumed she had sailed for new anchorage, we could just see empty sea.)

Not sure what his thoughts were re: AIS and radar. He was probably a bit busy to say the least.

Liferaft survivors let off one flare. Not seen and nothing happened.
They let off another and suddenly Bayden Powell knew something was amiss. These were parachute flares according to my source of info.

I read about this perhaps two weeks ago, and I cannot find the source again.

I do not know if it was a youtube video ( so take with a large pinch of salt) or a written source (again, source of author unknown).

A torch towards other yacht or electronic flare may have sufficed.

How or would we ever know?

Glad there were survivors who managed to get a liferaft released after the first attempt at releasing raft failed ( which sounds dangerous).

 

[winch2]

I'll always remember dads firework night red flare demo in the garden back in the 60's ...Good grief it really is extraordinary how bright and red they are up close....Seem to remember being rather scared, mind you I was only about 8. But yes dont let them off unless you really have to.. at sea, and in imminent danger of death.