Double manning rescue

Originally posted by getafix Originally posted by asterix I agree - you need to move fast.  Having only one in the rib then leaves you in a real mess, but hopfully at last everyone survives errr the bit were you add the word "hopefully" into any statement regarding potential serious injury or loss of life is the bit were you need to start insisting on double-manned boats, not picking on your asterix but been reading this thread for a while and can't really see the need for such a debate..... single manned boats provide coverage of big areas, double-manned boats are the only way forward in any sort of rescue situation, both during and after the rescue... ask yourself this, who's going to help the injured sailor with the suspected broken arm/dislocated shoulder/cut head/heart attack while you're driving back to the shore if you're on your own?

Hi ya

I was asking a difficult question just to make people think about the issue and decide on whether one person in the rescue boat was enough.  I am not advocating that one is enough.  Also, I didn't start the thread. 

the 'I agree' bit in my post was me agreeing to the need for speed, not to the OK-ness of having only one person.

Edited by asterix

Originally posted by zippyRN it's interesting here to do a comparison with other 'risk' sports ( but not necessarily 'extreme' sports) MSA regulated four wheel motorsport requires a rescue unit , a registered paramedic ( and or a Doctor) and an Ambulance for even the most modest events it's extremely rare to see motorcycle road racing without multiple ambulances and doctors and even motocross normally requires an ambulance or two equestrian events have a low threshold for requiring ambulances, paramedics and doctors yet here we are arguing over whether it is necessary to provide even the most basic level of casualty care from 'rescue boats'

It's difficult comparing sports, particularly if you draw comparisons to inherently high-risk ones like motorcyle racing!. Once upon a time I played a fair bit of football, and while I think our coach had some sort of 1st aid qualification and perhaps others did, I don't remember there being anything much beyond the "magic sponge" if you did get injured and quite often ambulances had to be called out due to broken legs or other serious injuries in one of the games on a Saturday or Sunday morning....I'm sure in 2010 someone will tell me it's all got more regulated but I doubt there's much beyond the odd properly qualified 1st aider and the carry-box equivalent of your home medicine cabinet on hand at most games today.  Now I've seen many more serious injuries at football games than during sailing, despite the potential risks of drowning & various cuts/bruises/breaks in the latter, so I think it's wise to be reasonable here and accept that we all face a known level of risk when going out racing (and cruising) and that exists whether or not a rescue boat with 1, 2, or more people is in attendance and too much regulation is only going to cost more dough and put people off

Originally posted by zippyRN equestrian events have a low threshold for requiring ambulances, paramedics and doctors yet here we are arguing over whether it is necessary to provide even the most basic level of casualty care from 'rescue boats'

The last equestrian event I went to had about 4 ambulances, each with at least 3 or 4 paramedics inside. But I can see the reason why, they were called into action more than once throughout the day, falling off a horse over a jump hurts a lot more than anything I have ever done in sailing. I agree it does seem funny that we don't have a paramedic on shore when we race.........

Originally posted by turnturtle One of the major benefits of my new sailing club is that I can go sailing whenever I want to, obviously at my own risk and on the clear understanding that I respect other people's property by locking the gate behind me when I leave. This is how I grew up sailing- having the utmost respect for the sea, and having the liberty to sail limited only by my choice in equipment and my personal abilities. This doesn't come without personal responsibility and in some cases, clear responsibility for others- taking friends out etc. But    it's very nice to see that legalisation and/or the H&S mob not getting their fingers too stuck in to our sport- up until recently I had wrongly assumed that all inland clubs had 'water opening times' limitations on like those of Draycote... I'm glad it's not the case.

That's interesting James.  I too grew up sailing on the sea, where you can sail at 3am in a Januray storm if you wanted.  Now I sail on a sheltered lake and am told that I can only sail on weekends or Wednesdays - provided their is saftey cover.  Its nice to know its not like that everywhere!  The real irony is that whilst the rescue boats at Chew are double manned, they tend to be tied up with the crew enjoying a coffee on the club balcony.  Response times to capsizes are woefully slow in general, IMHO.

In organised racing a club has a duty of care to the competitors, which at its most basic involves plucking bodies out of the water and dumping them on dry land.  By the time you reach land an ambulance can be well on the way if needed, so you don't need paramedics on standby.  I don't undertsand why any kind of cover needs to be provided for non-racing sailing, which is entirley at the whim of the sailor.