>On Wed, Oct 07, 1998 at 09:34:50AM -0400, KiAyker_at_aol.com wrote: >> There is no way you can actually know that you would not have survived >> without a pfd unless you were not wearing one and drowned. In which case there >> is no way you would actually know that you would have survived had you been >> wearing one :-) > Actually, I think there are situations that can support the idea that life jackets or PFDs increase survival rates. Consider sinking ships. Probably the most "scientific" examples would be torpedoed or bombed warships (I'm thinking WWII). You have a regrettably large "sample size" and a reasonably homogenous group of subjects (young, male, fit) in the same water conditions for whatever time until rescue arrives. Though I can't quote statistics, my impression has always been that those with even the primitive kapok-filled life jackets of the era, or even a bit of flotsam to cling to, survived at a much higher rate than their unsupported companions. Comments and corrections welcome. Cheers, Philip T. **************************************** Mountain Equipment Co-op 1655 West 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6J 1K1 Tel: 640-732-1989 Fax: 604-731-6483 email: pid_at_mec.ca Visit our website at: http://www.mec.ca ***************************************** *************************************************************************** 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 Wed Oct 07 1998 - 08:42:33 PDT
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