Dave wrote; > >>I bet 99% of the readers of this list NEVER do any hair boating. (Those >>who do, please stand up!) So, perhaps, we should agree to accept a >>ground rule: >> >>What "ethics" are apropos of "normal" boating? >> >>I'd kind of like to know just what sorts of people and conditions are >>likely to lead to my abandonment (aside from having eaten ALL the Oreo >>cookies surreptitiously -- snarf! snarf!). I think the "rules" are always relative the rescuer. If the rescuer feels a rescue will endanger his or he life then you should expect no assitance. Hopefully they will be knowledgeable enough to know when they are risking their life. Jackie's statistics about rescuer deaths are sobering. The principle followed by the Red Cross, St John's Ambulance and Royal Life Saving Society is simple, The object is to save lives not create more fatalities. When instructing in first aid and life saving we set up accident scenarios. If a student persistently risks his or her life to effect a rescue they fail the course. In fact, most instructors will conive all sorts of diabolical situations just to see how obseevant and careful you are. I just looked through my records and found that I failed four people for that reason alone. Diane's experience is worth analysing. I hope she will not take this in the wrong light. I assume she wrote about he experience as an object lesson an does not object to us dissecting the events. She wrote; (SNIP) >Brian mentioned that as we knew, he had been feeling ill for a couple of days, and it was now really catching up to him. Should Brian have been paddling when he was progressively getting sicker? > He decided to paddle directly for the channel (SNIP) >Trish and I decided to carry on to the fishing camp at Nootka, and cross toVernacci from there, as we had originally planned. Should they have separated when he was sick? >Brian left us, (SNIP) >I was tired by this time as well and wanted to begin the passage across to Vernacci. Should they have persisted even thought they were getting tired? Why did they wait until they were tired to decide to go home? > However. My intrepid (and naive) companion decided that she was going go through and there was no dissuading her. Does one have any obligation to a person who deliberatly persists in doing something dangerous? > She said she had been unable to get out of the lagoon (surprise) but finally struggled through 30 minutes or so before slack, followed by the canoe. She did not see me right away and assumed I had left witout her. Her arms were jello, she said. (SNIP) Plus, one of the books on the area says, *do not* attempt to go in or out except at slack water. I had shared this with her before she went in but she didn't take it seriously. See above and why didn't they heed expert advice? >We paddled out of the small bay and began the crossing to Vernacci. I saw immediately to my great dismay that instead of the typical wind drop in early evening which results in usually calm pleasant evening paddling conditions, the wind had continued to pick up and was crossing the seas which were building behind us, resulting in big slop. The weather doesn't just spring up out of nowhere. Why weren't the aware of an unusual weather pattern? >Neither one of us liked this at the outset but we pushed out and got into it. After about 15 minutes, I realized that I was afraid. Keep in mind they were already tired. Why did they persist? >Largish breaking following seas and lots of wind and slop is my least favorite of paddling conditions. My fear was multiplied because I felt responsible for Trish, who was understandably more frightened than I was. (SNIP) Note the word "responsible". Why? Should she have forcibly detained Trish? > I saw Vernacci slipping by on our right as we struggled to keep from broaching, and yelled at Trish to turn. She could not bring herself to do it, and I understood this completely, having been similarly frightened on other occasions. We decided the only course of action was to just keep paddling evenly and strongly till we reached a point of land which was on our course, which was now determined by the wind and sea. (SNIP) They are in well over their heads now and worst of all haven't the skill to extricate themselves by turning back. >After calming down we got back in our boats and I took us over to the lee of a smaller island and around the northerly point. We poked our bows out into Fidalgo Passage which was still ugly. (SNIP) Why did they try again after the previous experience? >Although Trish wanted to try to paddle on, (SNIP) Any comments on Trish as a traveling partner here. >Trish did not have any extra clothes and was getting cold, and pretty well refused to spend the night with me wrapped in a tarp in the woods! She wanted to try going out around the south end of the island we were on, hoping that the water conditions might be better there. I explained how it would be even worse, but I did not want to let her go alone. Think about this for a moment. What would you have done? What is more important, your life or companionship for Trish? >Brian at first thought we had been invited to have dinner at the fishing lodge, but then grew concerned.. Here is this nice handy lodge and we have two tired inexperiecned paddles and deteriorating conditions. What would you do? >We both hugged Brian and with great pleasure ate the wonderful tasty soup he had prepared for us. We were very glad to be back at camp, and I was happy I had followed Trish this time! I would say this is a good example of a dysfunctional group. I consider the a good example of group tyranny. Because Diane felt some responsibility to stay with Trish she was led into harm's way. Suppose we take each incident separated here and see how each of us would have responded both to the isolated incident and the entire episode. . John Winters Redwing Designs Specialists in Human Powered Watercraft http://home.ican.net/~735769/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat Feb 28 1998 - 05:11:49 PST
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