On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 16:50:33 -0700 (PDT), "Derek" > My understanding is that "Mayday" is used when there > is immediate and present danger. "Pan Pan" is used > when the situation high risk, but not immediately life > threatening. A "Pan Pan" could deteriorate into a > "Mayday." I went last month to the Long Island Paddlesport symposium and listened to the USGC commander for all of the Northeast US give a presentation on emergency communications. This exact topic came up, and he said that Pan Pan was really only for use by trained commercial mariners. He said if you are in any sort of emergency in a kayak, that needs outside help, to call "Mayday Mayday Mayday". Their radio operators will come on the channel immediately if they hear this. One person at the symposium described paddling up to an injured jet skiier who was off his jet ski in the water with a dislocated shoulder, and he called Pan Pan, since the kayaker himself was not in distress. The USGC commander said next time absolutely call Mayday in that situation--it was an emergency that needed outside help, and the way to get outside help is to call Mayday on the emergency channel. And, of course, you shouldn't even be talking on that channel unless there is an emergency. John -- John Huntington jhuntington_at_fastmail.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Mar 27 2007 - 13:23:08 PDT
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