In a message dated 98-11-05 14:19:08 EST, juliom_at_cisco.com writes: << The victim is hypothermic after capsizing several times in his brand new tipy boat. He should not have joined the trip with his level of skill. But now, it is the group's mission to land the victim to safety through dumping surf. The best thing to do is to turn on the radio and call the Coast Guard so that they come and take the victim in their boat. >> Interesting scenario, Julio. Have been watching a few of the early comments, and they're all interesting. To the question of calling the Coast Guard to pull the guy out --- unless you're right off a manned USCG station, it's going to take them a while to get there. (From my experience flying SAR missions with them, it's going to take a <long> while.) And victims don't get less hypothermic with time --- they get worse, and they get worse faster with time. Don't think anyone's commented on that issue yet, but getting the USCG out there <quickly> is probably not going to be viable in most instances. You've gotta get this guy onto the beach fast. But you don't really have to worry about his boat. If he's, in fact, hypothermic --- irrational, uncontrolled shaking, unable to help himself --- his boat may now be his worst enemy. <He> can't take care of it, and another paddler or two trying to raft up with him is only going to complicate the issue, especially in dumping surf. You get two guys on either side of him --- and I'll assume that nobody in the group is really experienced in surf rescues --- and somebody's going to be wearing somebody else's kayak pretty soon. >From my experience, there's no way you're going to safely land two or three rafted boats in dumping surf, especially when one of these folks is totally incapacitated. Without thinking further, my reaction would be to get most of the group onto the beach fast, and then get the hypothermic paddler out of his boat and send him in with another swimmer --- hopefully with a solid paddlefloat or some other solid flotation device in addition to the PFD. No long lines --- no short lines. Or somebody's going to be wearing <them> around their necks, too. The paddlers on the beach help the swimmer when he gets the victim in close, once he's through the impact zone. One last paddler stays with the empty boats and sends them in on their own later, when the area is clear. My thoughts. Jack 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Nov 05 1998 - 13:18:24 PST
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