[Paddlewise] Incapacitated partner "Push Tow"

Clyde;

If the victim is unconscious and you are by yourself you will have your
hands full simply keeping them upright, never mind towing them.  The
idea of setting up bilateral pontoons and lashing the victim in an
upright position is creative but I suspect it might be impossible on the
water under anything other than ideal (and maybe not even then)
conditions.  It would be more beneficial to put them into their boat and
then drape them over your front deck so that you can keep an eye on them
and then signal for help.  (Good time to have a radio.)
Another method for getting them out of the water, other than stuffing
them back into their boat, is to pull them up across theirs and your
boat.  Place the victim's boat between you and the vectim and, with the
victim facing away from you, grab them by their PFD and pull/roll them,
on their back, up over their boat and onto your front deck.  The
advantage of this rescue is that they are now draped over your two boats
and the victim is on his/her back right in front of you.  Nigel Foster
tells a good story about how he once was paddling with a paraplegic who
had a heart attack.  He used this rescue and was able to bring the
fellow in through the surf.  He lived to paddle again. 
If the victim is conscious but injured it may be possible to do a "push
tow" if you are the only other person available.  Have the victim face
towards you in their boat.  Next have them hook the bow toggle of your
boat under/around their deck bungies.  You then hook the bow toggle of
their boat under/around your deck bungies (those just in front of your
cockpit).  Now have them lean over and support themselves on the deck of
your boat.  If the water is not too rough it is possible to paddle
forward in this position in a reasonably normal manner and  still make
good time.

John Winskill  


Sisler, Clyde wrote:

>         Make the paddle & floats into an outrigger type thingee.  That
> should help a great deal.  However, I suspect an unconscious person is
> going to flop over to left or right side.  The outrigger would probably
> keep the boat from capsizing again but the person's head and shoulders
> are probably going to flop into the water.  I wonder if tying a line
> from the PFD shoulder to the paddle on each side would help.  If they
> flop one way, the line on the opposite side might hold them back kinda
> upright.
>
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