The great part about monitoring this net is the quality of the posts --- and the bad part is the <quantity> of posts. I've been watching the "group dynamics" thread with interest, tagged a couple of notes to which I wanted to respond, and now can't find them! The gist of the contributions I felt comfortable addressing centered on the decision to effect a rescue despite the risks --- and, to a lesser degree, the "military" attitude toward rescue decisions, which, I think, was in reference to the loss of the Coast Guard rescue boat in the Pacific Northwest. My 30 years association with the U.S Navy ended a year ago, with my earlier years spent in flying combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters --- including a Viet Nam tour in '68-'69 off the coast of (then) North Viet Nam. As one who has been "in the business", I'd like to offer another perspective on the issue brought up in John Winter's post --- an issue which may not have been read the same by all. To review, John Winters, from my reading, did <not> say that his trip members agreed that they would not try to rescue another member in distress --- but rather that they would not try to rescue another member if conditions made it <likely> that the rescuer would wind up in the water, as well. The word "likely" is, I think, mine, but it is significant; it's an interpretation and a judgement call to be made in the face of extremely adverse, probably life-threatening conditions. (And, although I may be throwing in a red herring here, if the potential rescuer were in a double, it complicates the decision to effect a rescue, as well. But I won't go there --- yet.) Taking that interpretation as a departure point, consider the risk analysis of CSAR or Coast Guard SAR aircraft or boat commander when going out on a rescue mission; this mission commander is probably going in harms way from the get-go --- joining in whatever scenario has put another person in distress. (CSAR is complicated a bit by the fact that a lot of bad guys are also trying to kill you --- but, in kayak analogy, let's just consider that conditions are getting worse, maybe a lot worse!) There's an overarching dedication to the rescue mission --- not because the commander is "in the military", but because there's somebody out there who will die if the mission commander doesn't make the rescue, and because that's the job! As a mission commander, you are never ordered by your superiors to effect a rescue at all costs --- the potential cost of your life and your aircraft. That call is left to the mission commander. And there is another factor --- you're not out there by yourself (remember the "double"?). My guess is that it's exactly the same for the boat commander with his or her crew, but I can only speak as a helicopter aircraft commander (HAC), and the fact that it's not just <my> life on the line as the HAC is also significant. Bottom line, despite the risks, I've never known a Navy search and rescue crew to abort a SAR mission, although I have known several crews that went on missions and did not come back. While there's nothing written or even verbalized in the search and rescue business that you "do the job or you <don't> come back", there are still serious risks taken to make a rescue, and there are decisions that have to be made on the fly by the person in charge, often decisions taken under extreme duress. My guess is that, if one of John Winters' paddling partners had gone over and was unable to self-rescue, despite their agreement, some or all would have risked their own lives --- possibly to the point of being "likely" to dump, themselves --- to save their partner. At least I guess I'd like to think that. It's in the nature of some people do do dumb stuff like that. If anyone's in Washington and is interested, I could show you the names of some of those dumbies on a wall. Namaste. Jack "Joq" Martin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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