Boating is about getting away from it all, but if you don’t consider all of the things you are getting away from – like hospitals – you can wish you were back in civilization pretty quick.  In a post at Yachting, I wrote that “a safe boater fully understands and considers the hazards, and makes decisions about risk based on that understanding.”  That is an easy concept for things like fires, weather, and water temperatures. Don’t forget to consider the distance from shore as a hazard too. I’m not talking about fuel calculations and having enough reserve; I’m talking about the dangerous kind distance – the distance from definitive medical care.

Every mile from the dock is another four minutes (in a fast boat) from a hospital. In the middle of even a short run from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport for example, you are a good two or three hours – at least – from advanced medical care.  Distance can be dangerous if you’re not truly prepared for an unexpected problem; and it takes more than just having a first aid kit aboard to be truly prepared.

Thomas Bliss, director of the training firm Northwest Response, recommends at least moderately advanced first aid training for captains who ventures offshore. “The minimum should be the American Red Cross CPRO First Aid, CPR & AED training for the professional rescuer, or an equivalent,” says Bliss. “I have seen many injuries on vessels and most required direct pressure, more than just a Band-Aid.”

“For the professional rescuer” in the title may sound daunting, but it isn’t.   I’ve taken these courses and they do not assume prior medical training; they are just more advanced than basic first aid and CPR courses and include some advanced wound care and equipment use. Having packs of gauze and bandages in a kit and knowing how to use them effectively are two different things. Spending a few bucks and learning how to properly care for common medical problems from a professional every couple of years is a good idea. “Basic emergency medical response courses run from $80 to $110 depending on the course.”

When asked about what kind of gear to carry aboard, Bliss says “The best first responder kit you can afford and stow, and invest in an AED.” Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s) are a real expense ranging from $1200 to $3,000 dollars, but consider this: according to The American Heart Association, when a person experiences sudden cardiac arrest, every minute that passes without defibrillation – the chances for survival drop by 7-10%. After ten minutes, survival is unlikely.

I don’t care if you’re just a mile out of the inlet – If you don’t have a defibrillator aboard then you are not going to make that 10 minute window.  Buying an AED and learning how to use it is a game-changing risk based decision that all boaters should consider. You won’t catch me offshore without one aboard, that’s for sure.

Distance from medical care (not just the next fuel stop) is a hazard that is always out there but often unaccounted for when heading offshore.  An injury that is bad at home can turn critical if your trip to the E.R. is measured in hours instead of minutes. Spend some time now, and some money, and manage your on board medical risk.

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Den nye kapteinen hoppet fra dekk, fullt påkledd og spurtet gjennom vannet. Som tidligere badevakt holdt han blikket på offeret mens han skyndet seg rett mot et par som svømte mellom den oppankrede båten og stranda. «Jeg tror han tror at du drukner», sa mannen til kona si. De hadde sprutet vann på hverandre og hun hadde skreket, men nå stod de bare på sandbunnen med vann til halsen. «Vi har det fint, hva er det han gjør?» spurte hun, litt irritert. «Vi trenger ikke hjelp!» ropte mannen og prøvde å vinke kapteinen unna, men kapteinen fortsatte å svømme hardt. «Flytt dere!» bjeffet han da han skyndet seg mellom dem. Rett bak dem, ikke mer enn tre meter unna, holdt den ti år gamle datteren deres på å drukne. Da hun var trygt over vann i armene til kapteinen brast hun i tårer, «Pappa!»

Hvordan kunne denne kapteinen se – fra femten meter unna – hva faren fra tre meter ikke gjenkjente? Drukning er ikke det voldsomme, plaskende ropet om hjelp som folk flest forventer. Kapteinen var trent til å gjenkjenne drukning av eksperter og mange års erfaring. Faren, på den annen side, hadde lært hva drukning ser ut som fra TV. Dersom du tilbringer tid på eller nær vannet (hint: det gjelder oss alle), da burde du passe på at du og de du er sammen med vet hva man skal se etter når folk er i vannet. Fram til den lille jenta gråt fram et «Pappa» hadde hun ikke laget én lyd. Som tidligere redningssvømmer for kystvakten var jeg ikke det minste overrasket over denne historien. Drukning er nesten alltid en villedende stille hendelse. Veivingen, plaskingen og skrikingen som vi er opplært til å se etter fra dramatiske fremstillinger (TV) blir sjelden sett i virkeligheten.

Den instinktive drukningsresponsen – navngitt av Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., er hva folk gjør for å unngå faktisk eller oppfattet kvelning i vannet. Og det ser ikke ut slik folk flest forventer. Det er veldig lite plasking, ingen veiving og ingen skriking eller rop etter hjelp av noe slag. For å få en ide om hvor stille og udramatisk en drukning kan se ut fra overflaten, tenk over dette: Det er den nest største årsaken til død ved ulykkestilfelle blant barn under 15 år (nest etter kjøretøysulykker) – av de rundt 750 barna som kommer til å drukne neste år, vil om lag 375 ikke være mer enn 20 meter fra en forelder eller annen voksen. I ti prosent av disse drukningene vil foreldrene faktisk se på mens barnet drukner, og har ingen anelse om hva som foregår (tall fra USA, kilde: CDC). Drukning ser ikke ut som drukning – Dr. Pia beskrev den instinktive drukningsresponsen slik i en artikkel i Coast Guard’s On Scene Magazine:

1. Sett bort ifra sjeldne tilfeller, vil ikke druknende personer være fysisk i stand til å rope ut om hjelp. Luftveissystemet er designet for pusting. Tale er en tilleggsfunksjon. Før man kan snakke, må man være i stand til å puste.

2. Druknende menneskers munn er vekselvis under og over vannets overflate. Den er ikke over vannflaten lenge nok til at de klarer å puste ut, puste inn og rope om hjelp. Når druknende menneskers munn er over vannflaten puster de raskt ut, raskt inn igjen, før de på nytt synker under vann.

3. Druknende mennesker kan ikke veive med armene etter hjelp. De vil av instinkt rette armene ut og presse dem ned mot vannflaten. Slik holder de seg oppe og klarer å løfte munnen ut av vannet for å puste.

4. I løpet av den instinktive drukningsresponsen kan ikke druknende mennesker frivillig bevege armene sine. Mennesker som holder på å drukne kan ikke, rent fysisk, slutte å drukne og utføre frivillige bevegelser som å veive etter hjelp, bevege seg mot en som redder dem eller gripe fatt i redningsutstyr.

5. Fra begynnelse til slutt under den instinktive drukningsresponsen vil menneskers kropp forbli loddrett i vannet uten tegn til fraspark med beina. Dersom de som holder på å drukne ikke blir reddet, vil de kun klare å streve i vannoverflaten i 20 til 60 sekunder før de synker helt under vann.

(Kilde: On Scene Magazine: Fall 2006 (side 14))

Dette betyr ikke at en person son roper etter hjelp og slår om seg ikke er i virkelige vanskeligheter – de opplever mest sannsynlig en slags vannskrekk. Dette skjer ikke alltid før instinktiv drukningsrespons, og varer ikke lenge. I motsetning til ofre for reell drukning vil disse være i stand til å bistå sin egen redning. De kan ta tak i livbøyer o.l.

Se etter disse tegnene til drukning når folk er i vannet:

• Hodet lavt i vannet, munnen ved vannflaten.
• Hodet lent bakover med munnen åpen.
• Glassaktige og tomme øyne, ute av stand til å fokusere.
• Øyne igjen.
• Hår over pannen eller øynene.
• Bruker ikke beina – loddrett.
• Hyperventilerer eller gisper etter pusten.
• Prøver å svømme i en bestemt retning men kommer ingen vei.
• Prøver å rulle over på ryggen.
• Ser ut til å prøve å klatre opp en usynlig stige.

Så dersom en av mannskapet faller over bord og alt ser greit ut – ikke vær for sikker. Noen ganger er den vanligste indikatoren på at noen drukner at det ikke ser ut som om de drukner. De ser kanskje ut som om de trår vannet og ser opp mot dekk. En måte å være sikker: spør dem, «Går det bra?» Dersom de klarer å svare, gjør det nok det. Dersom du får et blankt blikk tilbake, kan det hende du har mindre enn 30 sekunder på å nå dem. Og foreldre – barn som leker i vannet lager lyd. Når de blir stille, finner du ut hvorfor.

(Se en film om Instinctive Drowning Response)

(Special thanks to Hanna Hellem for the translation)

The crew at USCG Station Cape Disappoint work in a place where heavy seas and surf aren’t just possible, they are damned likely. The station’s back yard is the Columbia Bar – one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world.

What does the station like to do when the roughest of the water rolls in? Go out and play in it of course.  The surf creates an opportunity to practice their world-class driving skills in their 47 foot Motor lifeboats,  self-righting rescue machines that can survive being capsized and return to upright in under 30 seconds.  Here, see for yourself.  The gang at Cape D. recently uploaded a video of one of their surf training sessions, complete with a full knockdown at minute 2:40 and a very close call at minute 4:17. The video is worth the five minutes if you want to know what the U.S. Coast Guard small boat community goes through to keep you safe.

Semper Paratus, and stay safe out there.

A recent article by Andrew Metcalf at Patch includes witnesses describing the rescue efforts (or lack of rescue efforts) after Sengupta’s friends reported that he did not surface from the jump.  Nicholas Sayers was at the Walk The Plank obstacle watching his sister participate in the Tough Mudder:

…it seemed like almost five minutes passed before a rescue diver began a search for Sengupta. He said he was told to clear the area by staff members before Sengupta was pulled from the water.

“Only one diver was in the water searching for the body when I left,” said Sayers.

Antoinette DiVittorio, a 35-year-old Alexandria woman, said she was also at the event watching her boyfriend compete. She said she was watching the Walk the Plank obstacle when Sengupta jumped.

“I was waiting on the side where the water was, watching people jump in,” said DiVittorio. “His teammates were waiting on the side of the water when one guy said to a staff member ‘my teammate jumped into the water and didn’t come out yet.’”

She said the staff member didn’t take action for a few minutes after being told Sengupta was still in the water. It wasn’t until one of Sengupta’s teammates and herself asked the staff member, “Why aren’t you doing anything?”, that the staff member took action, she said.

“At that point in time they made everyone stop jumping,” said DiVittorio. She said one staff member in a wetsuit began searching the top of the water. She said he did that for a couple of minutes when another staff member ran down to the site, asked what was going on, and once he found out, he ordered the other staff member to put on a scuba tank and goggles to search underwater.

“It seemed like an extensive period of time went by before anyone went under,” said DiVittorio. “Within one minute of trolling the bottom, they pulled him out.”

DiVittorio estimated that an ambulance didn’t arrive until about 30 minutes after Sengupta was pulled from the water, despite her seeing multiple ambulances located across the course. During that time, she said rescuers attempted to resuscitate Sengupta.

This is what I was discussing with many of those who came to the defense of Tough Mudder, commenting that all risk can’t be removed.  But I am not thinking that all risk can be removed.  I am, however, certain that a lot of it can be controlled better with the reasonable application of protocols.  Having to be talked into action by participants – I think all can agree – is not a reasonable action plan.

How this could have gone (without any additional expense to Tough Mudder)

• Event:   A guard notices or is told someone is still underwater.
• Step 1: An alarm (whistle, bullhorn, you pick it) is sounded – all jumping stops.
• Step 2:  Standby ambulance dispatched
• Step 3: Standby divers (two at least please) simultaneously enter the water and sweep the bottom while other guards prep spinal immobilization equipment for water extraction.

An emergency action plan just that simple would have had Sengupta out of the water in under a minute from the first report.    This is just one of many cost-neutral (not that spending more money on safety is out of order) protocols that could be put in place that would be transparent to the participant’s experience and dramatically increase the safety posture of the events.

I was saddened to hear of the death this past Sunday of twenty-eight-year old Avishek Sengupta, who drowned at a Tough Mudder event in West Virginia. Saddened, but not at all surprised. Tough Mudder is one of those pay-to-play obstacle challenges that allow anyone with an entry fee and the willingness to sign a waiver the chance to do things usually reserved for elite military combat professionals. Perhaps that’s why injury and even death at such events is sad but not surprising.

The training done by elite military combat professionals involves a lot more than setting up an obstacle course and sending the troops in. They go through months of build up and monitoring, the training is extremely well supervised, and their emergency response plans are well-thought-out, practiced, and proven. By comparison, an event like Tough Mudder is a free-for-all. Here is why:

No Consideration for Prior Conditioning

Sengupta drowned in the water below the “Walk the Plank” obstacle, a fifteen foot jump into cold water.  A jump into cold water after running any distance is extremely stupid for a number of reasons (I’ll explain those next) but first consider how little is known about the competitors before they take the leap.

Military combat units- like the British Special Forces who are credited with designing the Tough Mudder obstacles- go through an ever-increasing series of physical tests before being allowed to continue to more difficult challenges. There are supervised and quantified swim tests, for example, prior to any high risk water training. How do adventure races assess a participant’s physical abilities? They don’t. They put a warning on their website and make racers sign a waiver.

The Tough Mudder Course Safety Warning:

“The course is designed to be very difficult and the terrain is at times muddy, slippery, and potentially dangerous. You will be wet after the first mile, and you MUST be able to swim more than fifty yards if you attempt the Walk the Plank obstacle. If you do not feel comfortable completing any obstacle, DO NOT attempt it; simply continue on to the next obstacle. But really, what do you think you signed up for, Warrior Dash?”

Now I don’t know if Sengupta could swim or not, but that’s the point:  neither did any of the organizers or the 75 rescue and medical personnel at the event last weekend.  Given that organizers have no idea the kind of shape a racer is in, perhaps their obstacles should exclude deep muddy pits of water where drowning is a not-so-unlikely hazard.

Hint: Drowning is Not So Unlikely

“Test your fear of heights and cold all in one with our 15+ feet high jump into freezing water. Mudders like to display their fancy diving skills (or belly-flops) at this obstacle. Don’t spend too much time pondering your leap – Marines at the top of the platform will chew you out, or worse, push you into the freezing depths below.”

(Source: http://toughmudder.com/obstacles/walk-the-plank/ )

(We’ll leave out the disconnect between the “DO NOT attempt” in the course warning for obstacles you are unsure about and the threat above to be pushed by a Marine into doing it anyway – except to say these two messages are conflicting.)

The early morning temperature last Saturday at the West Virginia event was 41 degrees F.  That put the water temperature below The Plank at somewhere between 45 and 55 degrees.  Even if it was warmer, it was more than sufficiently cold to generate a cold shock response.  Anyone who has been hit with a cold blast of water knows the involuntary gasping that occurs when suddenly cold and wet.  Walk The Plank, the obstacle where Sengupta drowned, is designed to make that reflex occur underwater.  If it can’t be controlled, cold water is inhaled and drowning (or at least severe distress) is a likely result.

Additionally, there is the risk of participants landing on each other.  If you think that there are controls in place to ensure that those below are clear before the next person jumps, think again.  With screaming and cheering and motivating Marines, a crowd can’t be controlled to the degree necessary to ensure each jumper has surfaced and is out of the way before the next person jumps.

A Real Difference in Numbers

In a statement from Tough Mudder, organizers expressed their regrets and took the opportunity to highlight their record of safety and focus on how well-staffed events are by safety and rescue personnel.

• This is the first fatality in the three-year history of the company, after over 50 events with more than
750,000 participants.

• Tough Mudder Mid-Atlantic was staffed with more than 75 ALS, EMT, Paramedics, water rescue technicians and emergency personnel.

That sounds impressive if you don’t have access to a calculator, but I do.  With an average participation per event last year of over 13,000 and 75 emergency personnel including the Paramedics and EMTs – that’s one safety person for every 173 participants.  If even half of them are water rescue techs (and I doubt that sincerely), we are at about one rescuer for every 350 people.  1 to 350 is fine for a parade- it really is- but at “probably the toughest event on the planet?”   I’m thinking those numbers are a little weak.  When I participated in high-risk water obstacles as part of Coast Guard rescue swimmer training, the qualified rescuer-to-student ratio was 2 to 1.

Yes, this is Tough Mudder’s first death at an event, but that is more about luck than safety.  There was one other drowning, two possible heart attacks, and 17 other injuries that required trips to the hospital – not over the last year, but at last weekend’s West Virginia event alone.  Break out the calculator again and if West Virginia was average, then these events present a risk posture that may require a second look by the organizers.

Too Many Other Variables

The water is muddy with zero visibility by design.  The distractions to the limited number of rescuers are enormous. Doing training and drills at different venues is difficult if not reasonably impossible for the rescuers (and there are not enough rescuers.)

If Tough Mudder (and Spartan, et al.) want to provide a military-like experience to those who don’t want to actually join the military, they should do a better job of acting like the military.  That means testing and qualification for all event participants, adequate safety personnel, and maybe a new set of “experts” to design their obstacles.

Avishek Sengupta sounded like a very nice young man.  I’m sure he and his team were having a great time right before his jump.  But he jumped from 15 feet into very cold and muddy water with people jumping all around him at the same time.  It was a high-risk move of the elite combat military variety without the checks and controls in place during actual military training.  That he didn’t resurface is sad, but isn’t surprising.  The number of unaccounted-for variables were staggering.

READ UPDATE TO THIS STORY HERE:

I still remember the first time Sean Lawler called me up to tell me about this guy – Bill Bruns – who decided he was going to run the Keys 100 (in Key West, FL) in remembrance of Coast Guard members who’d fallen in the line of duty. To put it bluntly I thought it was a crazy idea- ambitious- but crazy. However, as I started to work with him on getting the word out, the more I realized that I actually knew little about those who’ve died in the line of duty. Short of Douglas Munro, and the smattering of shipmates lost during the 2011 time-frame, I was ill equipped to know who they were.

Coast Guard LT Brian Bruns had a goal of not only bringing awareness to those who’ve fallen in the line of duty but was also looking for a way to bring awareness to the Coast Guard Foundation’s Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund. Bruns’ and Lawler’s plan worked. By the end of the 2011 Run2Remember, Bruns ran the 100 mile ultra marathon and raised around $2,000 for the fund, donating it memory of the 90+ Coast Guard men and women who have lost their lives since 9/11. Not too bad for a single runner and a few followers.

Last year’s second annual Coast Guard Run2Remember (2012) got a whole lot bigger, and LT Lucy Love entered into the coordinator’s seat. After seeing the impact the first event had on the families of the fallen, LT Love stepped up and took the initiative to ensure a 2nd event took place. With LT Bruns deployed, she assumed the reins and transformed a one-man event into a movement. She continued to work with Sean Lawler and together they renewed a campaign to bring further awareness to the Foundation’s scholarship fund and the Coasties we’ve lost.

Their hard work paid off. Love involved not only some 93 people to run the Keys 100 but also individual events at units throughout the Coast Guard. Units from Virginia to Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and even Kuwait were holding their own Run2Remeber events. While Love worked to coordinate the actual running in Key West (yes, another crazy one!) and help the individual event holders at units around the globe, Lawler was (and still is) hard at work getting the word out via their Facebook page, unit event pages, Twitter, and in general online social interactions. Lawler is also the designer, three years running, of their logos and images. It’s a lot of work on top of their day jobs.

As a member of the Coast Guard, I was part of our local Run2Remember here in Juneau, AK last year. We had a turnout of about 50 or so people all wearing the t-shirts with the names of the fallen on the back. I still wear mine knowing someone is reading the names. At the end of the 2012 campaign, Love and Lawler’s work enabled them to donate $12,000 dollar to the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund. Awesome!

The event has kind of taken a life of its own without a doubt. I admit I never saw it getting as big as it has. With that in mind I wondered if the Coast Guard as an organization would have taken notice- they have. Though the event isn’t sponsored by the Coast Guard it definitely is supported. Which is good enough for me.

The 2013 campaign has changed a little. After listening to both participants and wishful participants of last year’s event the duo set in motion a change of name and a change of participation. Starting this year the formerly named Run2Remember has officially been changed to CG Remember (it will be held 17 & 18 May 2013).

Why the change to such a successful event? Well, in short, not everyone runs or can run. So the name change opens up the event to not only runners but also bikers, rowers, rollers skaters, house sitters, and your backyard Bar-B-Q. “Virtually any event can be used as a remembrance event. It’s not about the exercise or running, it never was, it’s about remembering.” says ME1 Lawler.

The goal hasn’t change though. The event is still here to help the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fund. What has changed, along with the name, are the t-shirts. Over the past two years the shirts have listed the names of the fallen since September 11, 2001; 90+. This year that number has risen to 126 fallen Shipmates going back to 1978. It will also include the most recently fallen shipmate, [Senior] Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III, who died in 2012.

ME1 Sean Lawler said it well in a letter to 2012 participants writing, “To the families of the fallen members, we know that nothing will ever ease the pain you have from losing a loved one, but you need to know that every member of the Coast Guard is with you, thanks you, and will always remember your sacrifice. Our uniforms have our names on the right side, but bear the words [U.S.] Coast Guard on the left…and that makes us all family. We will always remember our family.”

I look at the work that is being done here as Coasties helping Coasties. We’re known as an organization that is always there to help the public; however, we’re also just as capable with helping each other.

Now the easy part: getting involved. If you’re in the Coast Guard it’s likely that your unit is already planning something. Check the list of participating units at event page which will have your local point of contact.

If you’re not in the Coast Guard, or you’d rather not participate in an event but still want to help Coast Guard Foundation Fallen Hero Scholarship fund, you can purchase your own t-shirt for $20. The best part is 100% of the proceeds go to the scholarship fund. If you’d rather just donate without anything in return you’ll also find the address to mail donation on that same page. Either way it’s a great cause.

Thank you LT Love and ME1 Lawler for keeping this annual remembrance in motion.

LT Lucy Love was the Coast Guard’s Shipmate of the Week on 15 March 2013.

This may take a while to load – but it’s worth it. For print copies of any image, contact the photographer at www.robertdemar.com

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Az új kapitány ruhástul a vízbe vetette magát a fedélzetről és teljes sebességgel úszni kezdett. A volt vízimentő, szemét mindvégig az áldozaton tartva, egyenesen a lehorgonyzott vitorlás és a strand között úszkáló tulajdonos pár felé tartott. “Szerintem azt hiszi, fuldoklasz” mondta a férj a feleségének. Egymást fröcskölték a vízben és a feleség sikított, de mostanra már a lábukon álltak a nyakig érő vízben. “Jól vagyunk, mit csinál ez az ember?” kérdezte a feleség mérgelődve. “Minden rendben velünk!” kiabálta a férj, kezével is intve, hogy menjen el, de a kapitány keményen úszott tovább. ”Félre!” üvöltött rá a férjre, ahogy a meglepett tulajdonosok között elúszott. Közvetlenül mögöttük, alig három méterre tőlük kilenc éves lányuk fuldoklott a vízben. A vízfelszín felett, a kapitány kezei közt immár biztonságban, kitört belőle a sírás: „Apa!”

“Honnan tudhatta a kapitány – 15 méterrel távolabbról – azt, amit az apa 3 méterről sem ismert fel? A vízbefulladás nem jár azzal a vad, fröcskölő segélykiáltással, amire a legtöbb ember számít. A kapitányt szakértők és hosszú évek tapasztalata képezték ki arra, hogy felismerje a vízbefúlást. Az apa ugyanakkor televízióból tanulta, hogyan is néz ki a vízbefúlás. Ha gyakran töltesz időt vízen, vagy víz közelében (azaz: ez szinte mindannyiunkra igaz) akkor tudnod kellene neked is és a legénységednek is, mire figyeljetek, ha bárki is vízben van. A kislány, amíg el nem sírta magát „Apa!”, egy hangot sem ejtett. Mint a parti őrség volt vízimentőjét, engem ez a történet egyáltalán nem lepett meg. A vízbefúlás a legtöbb esetben egy megtévesztően csendes esemény. A vízfelszín karokkal történő erőteljes csapkodása és a hangos kiáltozás, ezek a vízbefúláshoz kapcsolt drámai jelzések, amiket a televízióból megtanultunk, a való életben ritkán fordulnak elő.

Az ösztönös vízbefúlási reakció (The Instinctive Drowning Response)– Dr. Francesco A. Pia nevezte el így – az, amit a vízben lévő ember tesz azért, hogy vélt vagy valós fulladását elkerülje. És ez nem úgy néz ki, mint amire a legtöbb ember számít. Nincs semmiféle csapkodás, nincs erőteljes karlengetés, nincs integetés, sem kiáltozás, semmiféle segélykérés. Ahhoz, hogy képet kapj arról, hogy a felszíni vízbefúlás mennyire egy drámaiatlan, csendes esemény, fontold végig ezt: a vízbefúlás a 15 év alatti gyerekek balesetből származó elhalálozásának második
leggyakoribb oka (a járműbalesetek után). A közel 750 gyermek közül, akik az elkövetkező évben vízbe fúlnak közel 375 fog a szüleitől vagy más felnőttől mintegy 20 méteren belül vízbe fúlni. Ezeknek a vízbefulladásoknak a 10 százalékában a felnőtt végig fogja ezt nézni, anélkül, hogy tudná, mi történik (forrás: CDC). A vízbefúlás nem látszik vízbefúlásnak – Dr. Pia a parti őrség „On Scene” folyóiratának cikkében leírta az ösztönös vízbefúlási reakciókat, melyek a következők:

1. Kevés kivételtől eltekintve a fuldokló emberek fiziológiailag képtelenek segítségért folyamodni. Légzőrendszerünk légzésre van kitalálva. A beszéd másodlagos funkció. A levegővételnek meg kell történnie ahhoz, hogy a beszéd létrejöhessen.

2. A vízben fuldokló ember szája felváltva süllyed alá és tűnik fel újra a vízfelszínen. A vízben fuldokló ember szája nincs kellő ideig a vízfelszín felett ahhoz, hogy kilélegezzen, belélegezzen, majd segítségért kiáltson. Mikor szája a vízfelszín fölé ér gyorsan ki- majd belélegzik, mielőtt szája ismét a vízfelszín alá nem süllyed.

3. A vízbefúló emberek nem tudnak segítségért integetni. A természet ösztönösen arra készteti őket, hogy karjaikat oldalirányba széttárják és velük a vízfelszínre nyomást gyakoroljanak. A vízfelszínre történő nyomásgyakorlás teszi lehetővé a fuldoklóknak, hogy testüket a vízen tartsák annak érdekében, hogy szájukat kiemelhessék levegővételre.

4. Az ösztönös vízbefúlási reakció során a vízben fuldokló ember képtelen karjainak mozdulatait akaratlagosan kontrollálni. Fiziológiailag, a vízfelszínen maradásáért küzdő fuldokló ember nem tudja a fuldoklást megállítani vagy akaratlagos mozdulatokat tenni, nem tud integetni, elindulni a vízimentő felé vagy egy mentőeszköz felé nyúlni.

5. Az ösztönös vízbefúlási reakció elejétől a végéig a fuldokló ember teste függőlegesen áll a vízben, hatékony lábtempó egyetlen jelene nélkül. Amennyiben egy képzett vízimentő meg nem menti, a fuldokló ember a víz alá süllyedés előtt mindössze 20 – 60 másodpercig képes a víz felszínén maradni.

(Forrás: „On Scene” folyóirat : 2006 Ősz (14. oldal))

Mindez nem jelenti azt, hogy egy segítségért kiáltó és vízben vergődő ember nincs igazi bajban – ők épp egy vízi pánikhelyzetet (aquatic distress) élnek át. Ez nem mindig jelentkezik az ösztönös vízbefúlási reakció előtt, s rövid ideig tart – de az igazi vízbefúlással ellentétben, a vízi pánikhelyzet áldozatai képesek a saját megmentésükben segédkezni. El tudják kapni a mentőövet és egyéb mentési eszközöket.

• A következő jelekre is figyelj, amikor emberek vannak a vízben:
• A fejük mélyen a vízben, szájuk a víz szintjén van
• Hátraszegett fej, nyitott száj
• Üveges szemek, üres tekintet, nem képes fókuszálni
• Csukott szemek
• Homlokba vagy szembe lógó haj
• Nem használja lábait – függőleges pozícióban áll
• Hiperventillál vagy kapkodja a levegőt
• Megpróbál úszni egy meghatározott irányba, de nem jut előre
• Megpróbál a hátára fordulni
• Úgy tűnik, mintha egy láthatatlan létrán akarna felmászni.

Tehát ha a hajó legénységének egy tagja a vízbe esik, és úgy tűnik, minden rendben van vele, ne legyél ebben olyan biztos. Néha a legáltalánosabb jele annak, hogy valaki fuldoklik az az, ha nem látszik, hogy ő fuldoklik. Úgy látszhat, hogy egyszerűen csak tapossa a vizet és néz fölfelé a fedélzetre. A legjobb mód, hogy meggyőződj róla? Kérdezd meg: “Minden rendben?” Ha képes erre válaszolni – akkor valószínűleg rendben van. Ha üres tekintettel néz rád, akkor kevesebb, mint 30 másodperced van arra, hogy elérd őt. Kedves szülők – a vízben játszó gyerekek hangoskodnak. Ha csendben vannak, menjetek oda hozzájuk, derítsétek ki miért!

(Nézd meg a videót: Instinctive Drowning Response)

UPDATE: (see below)

Ocean Signal and Datrex recently introduced the world’s smallest Personal Locator Beacon, the rescueME PLB1.  Almost immediately, reviews of the product have been positive.  How could smaller not be better? The miniaturization of electronics has made lots of safety equipment easier to carry and use.  However, this particular product is making me think about the diminishing returns of “small.”

A press release from the company says this about the design, “the rescueME PLB1 has been carefully developed to fit onto any lifejacket and is easily activated by one hand in even the most challenging conditions.”

Friends – I’ve been out there in “the most challenging conditions” and I’m telling you – first hand – the word “easily” has no place being associated with any task; particularly removing a tiny box from a pocket, or reaching across an inflated life jacket, pulling out an antenna, and pushing a button.  There are any number of circumstances (cold being responsible for many of them) that might make using something this small all but impossible (or at least unreasonably frustrating.)

When considering whether smaller is better – think of the environment first.  If I was a hiker and it was summer I would think small would be beneficial. Space is at a premium in backpacks and lighter is always a good thing.   But, out to sea in the kind of conditions that have you overboard with nothing but your life jacket and it’s contents to rely on, ease of use (in that particular environment) is most important.  The rescueME is 30% smaller – but until they make these things small enough to be integral to the life jacket and water activated, I’m reasonably certain that handheld PLBs have gotten as small as I am comfortable with.

First of all, handheld PLBs need to fit in your (…wait for it..) hand.  For that matter, they need to fit in your cold and shaking hand. And even if they are mounted on your life jacket in a handy-dandy mounting bracket – you are really not going to perform a “single-handed activation” as the manufacturer suggests. Note in the video below that the single-handed activation is done with the device sitting firmly on a table. Unless you are planning to go overboard with the chart table, you’re going to end up using two-hands.

Another reason I liked the current “smallest” PLBs  (thank you ACR) is that they weren’t so small that I couldn’t add a swatch of Velcro to the back for quick mounting to the upper-shoulder of the life jacket. I don’t like using the mounting brackets these devices come with because permanently mounting something on your shoulder makes it very hard to see when you are in the water – and I want to see things work (verify that they are on.) Also, I am reasonable sure that I will need both hands to turn on electronic devices when I am in the water. I feel that way because for 15 years it was part of my job to get into the water and turn electronic devices on; EPIRBS, strobes, and radios are two-handed devices. trustME.

So 30% smaller? You are scaring me a little. I’ll wait until I get my hands on one and try it out (in the water – not on the chart table, thanks) – but for now I am going to pass on calling it “better.”

UPDATE: In response to this article, the fine people at Datrex lent me a RescueME PLB-1 so I could try it for myself.  I’m going to be taking it out in the ocean next week for a hands on look at the device. I’ll let you know how it goes and post my thoughts by June 1.  

There is a value to pushing the limits and expectations on students that has been lost because the training community failed to define the value inherent in these methods. In not applying a performance objective to fear and stress, many programs (including basic training and others) gave up a piece of what mattered most. Drawing on research from the U.S. Navy, the opinions of noted psychologists, and on his own experience, CWO Mario Vittone tells us why yelling at recruits is valuable, why stress and fear have a place in the classroom, and why asking for more than is humanly possible sometimes makes everyone safer and more effective.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speaker in this video and associated text are not necessarily those of the Department of Homeland Security or the U.S. Coast Guard.