Recovering a casualty from the water
Bringing the boat within reach of the person in the water is only the first part of the job. Equally important tasks are getting the victim back on deck and attending to the trauma.
Casualties capable of helping themselves Ladder or stern platform In the first instance, look at using the boat’s natural resources to assist the person back on board. If there is a ‘sugar scoop’ bathing platform aft, or even a boarding ladder, try using it, but beware of injuries caused by the boat pitching. All helpers should be clipped on, because it is easy to take a tumble when leaning over in a seaway, and one person in the water is already more than enough. The dinghy If you haven’t the strength to heave the swimmer up over the rail, launch an inflatable if there’s time. Even a tired person can usually roll into one of these. Once aboard the dinghy, they can either scramble up themselves, or a fitter shipmate can join them and assist. Only in absolute emergencies, perhaps if the victim is unconscious, should a second crew member enter the water to assist the first.
The bight and winch method for sailing boats Here, a line is led from forward to a snatch block on the quarter or an aft fairlead, thence inboard to a cockpit winch. A reasonably fit casualty is assisted to grab the toerail. He then manoeuvres his feet onto the bight of the line in the water. As the boat rolls, his weight will float upwards, relieving some of the weight from the line. The slack is rattled up on the winch. In surprisingly short order, the casualty will be high enough to get a leg over the rail and back to safety. Lest a cynical reader might imagine that this method is pure fantasy, the writer can reassure that it
was used to lift him back aboard a yacht in mid-Atlantic by his only shipmate, a woman of half his weight. It has the advantage of being very rapid to rig. The grunt If freeboard is modest and enough muscle is left on board, it is well worth trying literally to heave the casualty up over the side. Perhaps because of the extra adrenalin in everybody’s system this often works, especially in a sailing boat where the lee side is lower. It may help to slash the lashings on the guardrails, since these can get in the way, especially if the casualty is fully clothed and wearing a life jacket. If the guardrails are shackled on with bottle screws, think again next time you rig them and use lanyards instead.
Casualties compromised by exhaustion
Using a bight of line and a winch to recover a conscious casualty.
The straight lift Attaching a line Where manhandling or scrambling aboard is not possible, a straight lift must be organised. First, a line must be attached to the casualty. If he is wearing a harness of some sort ideally a modern life- jacket-harness this is easy, because he already has a ring at chest height. If he is not kitted up with a harness, try to get one on him. If this is not going to work, hand him down a line and ask him to tie a bowline under his shoulders. Best of all, use a helicopter-style sling passed underneath the arms and attach the rope to this. Such slings are available commercially and should be shipped by all yachts not otherwise equipped. Many also feature a length of floating line as part of a proprietary rescue sling. If the boat is steered around the casualty, this line is bound to make contact, enabling him to haul in the sling, shrug it on for hoisting and become attached to the ship as well. Dangers of the vertical lift If you’re obliged to lift someone out of the water it’s reasonable to assume that supporting them with a strop of some sort under the arms would be the best way to attach a lifting line. While this has the advantage of being quick and easy, it lifts the casualty vertically and so introduces an increased risk of hypothermic aftershock. This can induce side effects as serious as heart attack in a cold, exhausted person, especially one in poor general condition in the first place. While the danger is most significant for high lifts into helicopters, even the short hike up to a yacht’s deck is potentially dangerous. Skippers should be aware of this when considering what method to apply. If no means of horizontal lifting is available, however, don’t hesitate. Better a sick survivor than a healthy total loss.
120 | MANUAL OF SEAMANSHIP
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