Old Fella Falls In At Ludham

[JennyMorgan]

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/elderly-man-has-lucky-escape-after-falling-into-water-at-broads-mooring-1-5271278

[Gramps]

A very lucky man, hope he is ok

[NorfolkNog]

He seems to be OK reading the EDP article which is good news, glad for the family.

However they seem to be blaming the EA for not installing a safety ladder at that side the moorings. However by his own admission he was not wearing a life jacket so I'm not sure that he can lay the blame entirely on the BA/EA. It says a 'hired day cruiser', possible that we would know as a day boat. But in any event all yards give very clear instructions that life jackets must be worn at all times particularly when boarding or getting off the boat. So it may have helped if he had heeded that advice. Just my 2p.

[Boatingman]

Totally agree with you Howard

Whilst I have sympathy for the gentleman

These days it always seems to be someone else's fault

Ray 

[Guest]

First I'm glad the guy is OK the water must be getting quite cold now.

Falling in the "oggin" is not a new problem as people have been doing it since time immemorial.

A life jacket will not stop someone from falling in the "oggin" or assist in getting them back onto the bank, in fact it could be a hindrance in doing so, but it will keep someone afloat till help comes.

We cannot expect the EA, BA or anyone else to put safety ladders on every river bank at 50m intervals anymore than we would expect councils or whoever to put fences on every inch of clifftop to stop people falling off.

People need to be aware of the dangers of falling in and exercise care.

 

[Polly]

A signal failure of the Safety Elves, there is a lot of environment out there that we need insulating from! I demand action!...... 

[Guest]

I think all available Elves have been recruited by Santa on zero hour contracts till Dec 26th

[Snowy]

Glad to see all ended well, 

i would like to add when I first saw this topic I almost spat my tea out “old fella” means something very different down my way 

[Bound2Please]

1 hour ago, Snowy said:

Glad to see all ended well, 

i would like to add when I first saw this topic I almost spat my tea out “old fella” means something very different down my way 

Oh dear Snowey I know what you mean matey, bit like other winterey names. Best I leave the subject now.

Charlie

[Guest]

Is it just hire boat crews that apparent by have to wear life jackets that use that mooring? , plenty of others use it from private owners to the general public , all BA Mooring's to my knowledge have safety chains for a very good reason , having a life jacket on and nothing to hang on to make rescue more difficult anyway and have any of the previous posters on this thread actually rescued someone from the river because out sounds like not to me  , it's extremely difficult to haul some one out life jacket or not , where as with chain's at least there is something to assist the person in the water .

Having to swim across the river to the BA mooring opposite is not an option other than a last resort and what would have happened if that mooring had not been there or been another without chains and ladder's on ???? .

[Bound2Please]

I  thought that both sides of the BA moorings had ladders and chains I could be wrong. As an aside, when I had the misfortune to go in the summer of this year on a wild mooring. I was about to eject my jeans as the suction of them was making it near on impossible to get out, but I get a foot hold on a tree root some 2 - 2 1/2 foot below the surface. The chains at the height they are, are ok for hanging onto, no real help in getting out! IMO that is from some one who has been in. A life jacket would have been a hindrance in getting out IMO again, but if I had been wearing in (should have been really but thats another story really) ) should I have hit my head on the way in would have kept me afloat.

Charlie

[Guest]

53 minutes ago, Ricardo said:

Is it just hire boat crews that apparent by have to wear life jackets that use that mooring? , plenty of others use it from private owners to the general public , all BA Mooring's to my knowledge have safety chains for a very good reason , having a life jacket on and nothing to hang on to make rescue more difficult anyway and have any of the previous posters on this thread actually rescued someone from the river because out sounds like not to me  , it's extremely difficult to haul some one out life jacket or not , where as with chain's at least there is something to assist the person in the water .

Having to swim across the river to the BA mooring opposite is not an option other than a last resort and what would have happened if that mooring had not been there or been another without chains and ladder's on ???? .

I have on many occasions and even with a "fit and-able bodied" individual it is very difficult, add fatigue, heavy wet clothing and weakness and it becomes almost impossible to recover someone to quay or boat without some equipment. As I said earlier, a lifejacket will not prevent you from falling in from either a private or hire boat.

[JennyMorgan]

This talk of falling in does raise one very real 21st century issue, that of the porkers amongst us. Hang onto chains by all means but could you haul  yourself out of the water? Indeed, and perhaps more importantly, could other folk haul you out of the water?  The EDP article shows a reasonably well proportioned old man and described the problems of retrieving him. Imagine if he'd been half as heavy again, or even double his weight. As one who is no longer even reasonably fit I am now acutely aware of fitness in relation to boating. 

[Guest]

A very useful safety aid, especially for boats with high freeboard and no swim platform or ladder.

 

[Bound2Please]

It certainly looks to be, have you a link to it rather than a screen grab of a wish list?

 

Charlie

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

I have on many occasions and even with a "fit and-able bodied" individual it is very difficult, add fatigue, heavy wet clothing and weakness and it becomes almost impossible to recover someone to quay or boat without some equipment. As I said earlier, a lifejacket will not prevent you from falling in from either a private or hire boat.

In fact to fall off a quay or river bank you don't even need a boat!!

[Bound2Please]

7 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

This talk of falling in does raise one very real 21st century issue, that of the porkers amongst us. Hang onto chains by all means but could you haul  yourself out of the water? Indeed, and perhaps more importantly, could other folk haul you out of the water?  The EDP article shows a reasonably well proportioned old man and described the problems of retrieving him. Imagine if he'd been half as heavy again, or even double his weight. As one who is no longer even reasonably fit I am now acutely aware of fitness in relation to boating. 

This is vert true JM i was indeed totally cream crackered when i got out, yes over weight far from fit, and the water was like bath water temperature, I dread to think if I'd have made it out in say February march time from freezing water.

Charlie

[High6]

As a youngster I learned a technique for getting someone out of the water (although I have never tried it out of a pool). The idea is to use their natural buoyancy to propel them upwards onto the shore. Standing on the bank, take their two wrists and dunk the person into the water repeatedly in a sort of pendulum motion; their head may go under the water but they will eventually attain enough bobbing momentum to land them at least halfway onto the bank from whence you can roll them over fully. For a larger person perhaps it would take two people to lift them up, but a straight lift out of the water of someone who is unconscious or incapable is simply an impossibility.

I wonder whether the RNLI or the RYA might have some training materials on river rescues which could be published online?

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Bound2Please said:

It certainly looks to be, have you a link to it rather than a screen grab of a wish list?

 

Charlie

Fox's of Ipswich have them on their website also at £46.95

https://www.plastimo.com/en/safety/safety-ladders/echelle-de-securite-a-encastrer.html

[Bound2Please]

5 minutes ago, High6 said:

As a youngster I learned a technique for getting someone out of the water (although I have never tried it out of a pool).

I can get out of a pool in trunks quite easily, as water to pool side is but a few inches, not a mater of a foot plus like it is on the broads except in times of floods... 

But that said if any one is in the water nothing ventured nothing gained in getting them out.

Charlie

[Bound2Please]

2 minutes ago, Philosophical said:

Fox's of Ipswich have them on their website also at £46.95

https://www.plastimo.com/en/safety/safety-ladders/echelle-de-securite-a-encastrer.html

Cheers that will be next addition to the boat this winter, when repainting her.

Regards Charlie

[rightsaidfred]

I was told some time ago that if no specific equipment is available to tie a loop in the end of a rope/warp and lower it just below the surface for the person to put a foot in as an aid to raising them out of the water.

Fred

[Bound2Please]

58 minutes ago, rightsaidfred said:

I was told some time ago that if no specific equipment is available to tie a loop in the end of a rope/warp and lower it just below the surface for the person to put a foot in as an aid to raising them out of the water.

Fred

If your single handed, how do you get the warp to tie the loop?????.  Also from the experience of last summer, a tree root about 6 inches below the surface, was no help at all, in fact a hindrance as if I had carried on trying that way I would have just exhausted my self. I might add I wasnt even panicking, If I had of been, then I dread to think of the outcome.

The main thing is not to panic, easier said than done I agree, but my long ago training (for my charter skipper licence in the late 1960's) stepped in, and I had forgotten all about that from....

Also a point to remember if rescuing some one from the water by dinghy is also bring them in over the stern, so as not to capsize the dinghy.

Charlie

[ExUserGone]

6 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

This talk of falling in does raise one very real 21st century issue, that of the porkers amongst us.

Call greenpeace and get them towed out to deeper water.....

It's best to turn someone in the river so they face away from you that way you only have to lift them to bum level to get them on the edge otherwise you need to get them to knee level before it gets easy, we don't bend well the other way.

[KaptinKev]

11 hours ago, Philosophical said:

In fact to fall off a quay or river bank you don't even need a boat!!

Basically careless or half cut.