Re: [Paddlewise] Review: Coming Back Alive

From: Dave Kruger <dkruger_at_pacifier.com>
Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 18:05:41 -0800
Doug Lloyd wrote:

> Dave,
> If this is the same incident that ran in Reader's Digest a couple of
> years back, it was a harrowing happening. I assume this is the one with
> the dilapidated ship maybe, or was it they didn't have life rafts...

That's the one -- no life raft and an older, but stout, wooden vessel having no
watertight bulkheads.  Life raft would probably not have been useful in those
seas (so the survivors said, anyhow).  It is plain from the account that the
vessel had problems, but they sailed anyway.  Worth reading for a "between the
lines" interpretation of how they got in trouble by ignoring problems.  Not
uncommon in the commercial fishing industry, unfortunately.  A high-risk way to
earn a living.

> I can't remember. Anyway, if it was the same incident, I read an excellent
> article about the helicopter rescue work -- from the pilots perspective.
> The reason the last pilot was finally able to pull off the rescue
> was...you guessed it...multiple backups. Excessive fares, etc, were
> taken at the last moment, and much thinking outside the box was
> required. It was a more exciting story than even the Perfect Storm (from
> the aircraft perspective).

Third chopper did what you said (about 5 times the normal complement of flares)
... and ... the two pilots tried an unorthodox method of maintaining position: 
one pilot did the collective (held altitude) while the other did the joystick
(to put the basket where it needed to go).

-- 
Dave Kruger
Astoria, OR
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Received on Thu Feb 28 2002 - 07:06:48 PST

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