[Paddlewise] Kayakers helping others

Last year, a friend and I went for an urban day paddle into the Yarra River
from Port Phillip Bay. The area is industrial shoreline, with docks, piers,
marinas etc. We paddled under a major bridge, the Westgate, which spans the
Yarra about 70 m above the water. On the way back, Mike pulled into the
river bank to put on a jacket. I was drifting in the current waiting for him
when a woman on the bank pointed up and began yelling. I looked and saw a
flurry in the water under the bridge, about 150 metres away. A suicide had
jumped from the bridge we had just paddled under, near a point we had rafted
up. We paddled over to the impact area, and then combed downstream on
request from Police on shore. We found nothing. About 20 minutes later, the
Water Police boat came upstream, zig zagging, and retrieved the body about
5-600 metres downstream from the bridge.I have since learned that the Police
response was so quick as the bridge has video cameras monitoring traffic
constantly. If any car stops on the bridge, emergency services are
immediately alerted.
In the event, we weren't much real help. I have wondered since then, what
could we have done to best help a seriously injured suicide attempt victim
if we had found him or her in the water. Getting an injured person out of
the water onto rafted up boats would be a real challenge. Has anyone had any
experience of this?
Regards, Peter Treby.

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