Recovery from water to inflatable.

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Graham_Wright

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I note that the RNLI recover with the casualty on his/her back. Why?
I have found this rather painful.
When hauling someone aboard over the sponson, it has been my experience that front first allows first an arm, then a leg over the sponsor and then the rest of the body possible with one (on board) person . The buoyancy remaining in the water lessens the load. The same advantage applies even with the casualty's body at right angle to the sponson.
Back first has always proved impossible with one recovering as the lift needs to be two sided.
Personal experiences only of course.
Comments?
 
WoodyP said:
If you have a lifejacket on the front route is obstructed. If someone is dragging me from certain death l might just put up with a hurty moment.
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Correct ..... PLUS :

A heavy or difficult person - turn so their back to the rescue boat .... lift slightly - then SHOVE them down hard INTO the water and let Life Jackets bouyance give you help as you smartly lift on to gunwhale / side. Try that with person front towards you and one or both things will happen : LJ gets caught on boat side and / or person smacks you one for pushing them down !!
 
Back or front, it is worth considering an initial rescue into an inflatable if available.
A few months back a lady slipped off her boat stepping ashore and fell into the water beside the pontoon. Her partner jumped onto the pontoon and tried to lift her out but couldn’t. I heard a cry and went to try to assist, calling the marina office before starting to help. Even with two of us we could not lift her outr and she was getting distressed. I noticed their boat had a tender at the stern so I leapt on board and jumped into the dinghy. It was then easy enough to lift her over the side of the inflatable tender - not much decorum but heaved her in using the waist of her trousers. Front first definitely the only option with just me.
She was already slightly in cold shock but was able to lie in the bottom of the dinghy till the marina team arrived with all their safety gear.
All was well, but might not have been without using the dinghy and by phoning for assistance immediately.
 
Yes - agree with Dunedin ....

My wife fell in while stepping to pontoon with headline. Took two of use while she was screaming - to get her out. My wife is a lightweight.

She was not amused that I told her to just hang onto pontoon while I secured the boat !! She did not think about 4 ton of boat that was a risk to her .....
 
dunedin said:
Back or front, it is worth considering an initial rescue into an inflatable if available.
A few months back a lady slipped off her boat stepping ashore and fell into the water beside the pontoon. Her partner jumped onto the pontoon and tried to lift her out but couldn’t. I heard a cry and went to try to assist, calling the marina office before starting to help. Even with two of us we could not lift her outr and she was getting distressed. I noticed their boat had a tender at the stern so I leapt on board and jumped into the dinghy. It was then easy enough to lift her over the side of the inflatable tender - not much decorum but heaved her in using the waist of her trousers. Front first definitely the only option with just me.
She was already slightly in cold shock but was able to lie in the bottom of the dinghy till the marina team arrived with all their safety gear.
All was well, but might not have been without using the dinghy and by phoning for assistance immediately.
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Well done you!
 
This has been a bone of contention ever since sea rescues hit the TV.

People postulating a correct way (I am sure there is, but I don't know it) that causes the minimal amount of harm to the victim.
 
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Been saying this for ages. Hadn't recognised the L/J issue. Chap I know got permanent back problems from being recovered from mob, no L/J, face outwards, boat about 4 ft off the water.
We recovered a near drowning, no L/J, boat about 4ft above the water. We got his arms over the rail and pushed down on the wrists, then got armpits and back of belt, he slid in nicely. He was probably too big for two of us to do it face out. I wince every time I see a recovery face out.
My idea is to have a plastic stretcher slid down under the face out casualty, then strap under or hold the armpits, and slide the whole thing up, body supported throughout. (For RNLI inflatables)

As an aside, I have had to lift my b-i-l off the floor a few times, he is tetraplegic. Until I was told I didn't realise: lift his legs up, knees bent, then when you lift the torso part of the weight of the legs is on the feet, bit less to lift.
 
dunedin said:
A few months back a lady slipped off her boat stepping ashore and fell into the water beside the pontoon. . .
Even with two of us we could not lift her out and she was getting distressed.
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I once rescued someone who had fallen into a marina, and had been in the water (at night) for some considerable time before I discovered him. I doubt he would have lasted much longer, and he had no strength left in him. Alone, from the pontoon, it was all I could do to lift him enough to keep his face out of the water, while I screamed at the top of my lungs to try to attract the attention of my girlfriend who was in bed in our boat some distance away, or anyone, to help. She eventually heard and arrived, but the two of us could not lift him, so she ran to the clubhouse where, fortunately, there were still a few people drinking, and with a few of them we managed to get him out.

I wonder how the two of us, or myself alone, would have managed had we not found anyone else to help (that was pre mobile phone days) and there were no dinghies - as helpfully suggested above - around. I can only think of borrowing a rope from a boat to loop under the MOB's arms, tie off one end and haul on the other to lift their head out of the water, tie off and go search/radio/phone for help; or if somewhere remote and without contact, try to work out a way of rigging up a tackle using gear from nearby boats.

Unless someone else was around, only as a last resort would I get into the water myself to try to help, for fear of doubling the potential tragedy, and then only if there were an obvious potential escape route such as a sugar scoop stern or shore I could swim the casualty to.

It makes me shudder to think of it.
 
So how about: turn the casualty round, feet to the boat. Haul the legs in as far as possible, or maybe until bum is against sponson, then pull them upright by the arms/l/j straps? Too much leverage? Too vertical?
 
SandyP said:
If they capable, a line tied to 2 fixed points and dipping into the water provides a step for them to climb in
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All F/Vs have to have recovery ladders rigged ready. Only a flexible one, rolled up to the rail. I had more room so had an aluminium ladder secured one end with a tripline overboard attached to the other. MCA very happy with that. Had to be able to get it from overboard being single handed. Should be mandatory in marinas by the look of it.
 
Ive always found it a lot easier recovering someone with their back to the boat. That way, they are a fairly rigid shape to slide over the sponson.

Plus it happens to be the SOP for Atlantic class lifeboats.
 
Juan Twothree said:
Ive always found it a lot easier recovering someone with their back to the boat. That way, they are a fairly rigid shape to slide over the sponson.

Plus it happens to be the SOP for Atlantic class lifeboats.
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Do the RNLI have it correctly though?

A medico opinion i needed here.

The TV showing RNLI rescues has been criticised (I hate to say, because we all know the volunteers are the best).

I don't understand the criticism or the the correct method.

I am only aware of dissension stated at times.
 
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