Casualty management

Whilst serious accidents do occasionally occur, the risks involved with dinghy racing are surely tolerable and would be considered ALARP. It would not be practicable for the majority of clubs to introduce new equipment or provide additional training to help in the case of a once every 20 year accident. But of course, the RYA should continuosly monitor best practise and advise as necessary.

Originally posted by jeffers Please do not feed the troll......   And remember pretty much evey SC has a clause which states that you sail at your own risk and the club cannot be held liable for death, loss or injury (this is why we have insurance when we sail with large amounts of 3rd party liability).

We took legal advice regarding such disclaimers and were told that they wouldn't protect the club or an individual from their duty of care.

If the Australian assessment process is anything like what happens here in the uk after a major incident (such as Kielder Water) then there will be a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the accident (a collision between a windsurfer and a sailor) and then the findings of that investigation will be circulated to all clubs and centres, along with recommendations of any actions thought necessary to prevent such an accident happening again.  Should a succession of similar incidents take place then recommendations can become legislation.

Assuming that this poor girl suffered a head injury, I would think the most likely recommendation would not be that safety crews receive better training, but would rather be that sailors wear helmets.  This is already required in organisations such as scout sailing, and in many sailing schools.  This is similar to the way in which the NSSA demand trapeze crews wear quick release hooks following fatalities caused by crews being unable to unhook themselves following inversions.

It has to be said that even for trained crews, recovering a disabled or unconcious person from the water is extremely difficult without causing further injury.  At the moment best practice seems to be using a net or sling into which the person in the water is floated, then rolled up the side of the rib.  Those that I have spoken to who have been recovered in ths way have reported that it is extremely painful (though clearly better than drowning) and possibly would cause further injury to spine or brain due to the clumsy nature of the recovery process. 

Following the recent incident on the Dart concerning the inversion of the Hawke 20, this is something which must continue to be investigated, but the investigations must be done by those who can implement a sound knowledge of what is possible in any safety operation, given the limitations of safety crew ability, sea conditions, and resources.  Unfortunately we cannot prepare for every single eventuality.

Zippy, if your expertise can provide any detailed guidance on the recovery of disabled or unconcious persons from the water I would be glad to read them here.




Edited by winging it - 24 Jan 12 at 9:03pm

What a disappointing answer.  Given the amount of expertise expounded over the previous pages I had assumed there was some practical expertise behind it that could have been of use.   Instead, just theorising and not on the issue I'd asked about.

I think you have the answer right there zippyRN you are trying to apply the same 'code' you use in motorsport to the sailing world, especially as in motorsport you have 'control' of the immediate conditions. In the water it is an ever changing situation. Unlike motorsport where you can lay someone flat and control that persons neck you cannot do this in the sea, even professional lifeguards say this, what works in a pool does not work in the sea.