What I Saw Today... Safety Related.

[Wyndham]

I really did have a sick feeling in my stomach when I witnessed this. 

A boat went past with a young lad, maybe 10-11, he had his arms and elbows on the side deck (think of when you swim up to the edge of a swimming pool) and was lowering himself so his feet dragged in the water. No lifejacket. Parents seemingly unaware. 

I had to watch this for a few hundred yards til they went out of view, all the time praying he didn't fall in. 

I don't want to preach, but urge all parents to be aware of what your kids are doing when afloat. 

If only one parent reads this and takes notice it would have been worth it. 

[Smoggy]

Of the back I assume, legs and propellers really don't make a good mix and you just know if he fell in the first thing the helm will do is reverse towards him.

[KatieR]

Crikey, I feel a tad bilious now too! That fills me with horror- a disaster waiting to happen. As someone who has two kids under the age ten aboard, we have a very clear and small set of rules so nobody can ‘forget’ one:

1) boat engine starts= life jackets on

2) when we are doing any manoeuvre that isn’t cruising in a straight line, (mooring, leaving a mooring, changing rivers, going through a bridge, etc) kids must be inside boat with windows closed and sat down

3) when underway, allowed to come into the upper helm area if driving from there but cannot leave the ‘square’ (so no walking round decks) 

4) if windows or hatches open, not even the end of your nose can go past the frame

5) all above applies to kids and dog equally

Works for us.....

if I caught one of mine dangling out like you saw today, boat would be sold in a nano second..... 

[Wyndham]

22 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Of the back I assume, legs and propellers really don't make a good mix and you just know if he fell in the first thing the helm will do is reverse towards him.

Off the side Smoggy. The helm wouldn't have known if he fell in. 

Honestly, even now thinking about it turns my stomach. 

[Wussername]

2 minutes ago, Katiew said:

Crikey, I feel a tad bilious now too! That fills me with horror- a disaster waiting to happen. As someone who has two kids under the age ten aboard, we have a very clear and small set of rules so nobody can ‘forget’ one:

1) boat engine starts= life jackets on

2) when we are doing any manoeuvre that isn’t cruising in a straight line, (mooring, leaving a mooring, changing rivers, going through a bridge, etc) kids must be inside boat with windows closed and sat down

3) when underway, allowed to come into the upper helm area if driving from there but cannot leave the ‘square’ (so no walking round decks) 

4) if windows or hatches open, not even the end of your nose can go past the frame

5) all above applies to kids and dog equally

Works for us.....

if I caught one of mine dangling out like you saw today, boat would be sold in a nano second..... 

And that is why our safety record on the broads is second to none.

[Polly]

George fished a 10 year old out at Ludham Bridge, he fell off the back , parents transiting the Bridge were totally unaware they had lost one. 

[stumpy]

Having seen at first hand the effects of a prop/leg interface - I helped carry the stretcher from the rescue boat to the ambulance - words fail me!

[Wyndham]

1 hour ago, Katiew said:

Crikey, I feel a tad bilious now too! That fills me with horror- a disaster waiting to happen. As someone who has two kids under the age ten aboard, we have a very clear and small set of rules so nobody can ‘forget’ one:

1) boat engine starts= life jackets on

2) when we are doing any manoeuvre that isn’t cruising in a straight line, (mooring, leaving a mooring, changing rivers, going through a bridge, etc) kids must be inside boat with windows closed and sat down

3) when underway, allowed to come into the upper helm area if driving from there but cannot leave the ‘square’ (so no walking round decks) 

4) if windows or hatches open, not even the end of your nose can go past the frame

5) all above applies to kids and dog equally

Works for us.....

if I caught one of mine dangling out like you saw today, boat would be sold in a nano second..... 

Wise words Katiew. 

[KatieR]

Thank you Wyndham, but it’s nowt more than a good dose of common sense,  the most precious things in my life are those two little beings.

My kids + their safety = my responsibility. Simple sum really...

It’s a shame there wasn’t a ranger around to see what you did today, I’m sure a few words of advice would have been carefully imparted. 

[Bexs]

Fills me with dread!!

When we are doing anything that requires my husband to be concerned with things out side the boat, namely mooring...

Ours 2 & 4 (been boating since 1 & a bump) are made to sit in the saloon (bath tub boat) where I can see, hear and sense their movements from the helm. They have life jackets on and the youngest is strapped into the high chair. The dog is also clipped on to her lead attached to something.


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[RumPunch]

As I drove over Acle bridge with my daughter last week I commented that we'd already have a few fall in, and if we had a hot school holiday period it'd only be a matter of time before the first fatality. Seems some people want to go out of their way to make it a reality

[KaptinKev]

On ‎28‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 17:34, Wyndham said:

If only one parent reads this and takes notice it would have been worth it. 

Sometimes even parents can be stupid.

With all this hot weather we have been having they warn you about keeping animals aswell as children in a car with windows closed. Today in the news I came across how a woman forced open a car due to a baby she observed sweating in a car and someone working for the supermarket refused to take any action fearing he would lose his job.

Ambulance and Police were called and the mother turned up 50 minutes later looking at the ground while the good Samaritan had a well deserved verbal attack on her. Even parents can be more stupid than children!