Man over board safety

JSP · 23 September 2008, 09:38

(This was on the news but I'm going off what info I have been told)
It was either last year or the year before, two young life guards from our local beach had taken out a young girl on the rescue RIB. By all accounts they where showing off as young lads do. The girl was flipped over board and went straight into the prop.
As you can imagine she was killed and with out going into to much detail (and although she was well known to the two lads) dental records had to be used to positively ID her.

The reason I'm telling this story is to gain some advice. I know there are things on the market that can help to avoid things like this. What are the best ones and do they alter performance/handling. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind losing hp for safety but I would if they alter the any aspect of the boats handling then I would like to know.

Poly · 23 September 2008, 10:19

JSP - you are referring to prop guards and if you do a search you will certainly find some info on here about them. However the prop wasn't the causative agent in the above incident - it was showing off/bad boat handling.

PeterM · 23 September 2008, 10:21

Surely the best thing to avoid this is a degree of common sense - & its free .................. , but there are a prop guards on the market ;

http://www.propguard.net/

also a metal version I have seen on some of the zapcat type boats that I assume must give less of aloss of performance

m chappelow · 23 September 2008, 12:42

there is always the risk of anyone falling overboard and getting minced in the prop from any boat ,but the risk can greatly be reduced by sensible boat handling and knowing the dangers of riding in or on the bow if not holding on right in the first place ,i suppose that prop guards will reduce the chopping up part for swimmers and divers ,but at speed you are still have the risk of an outboard leg and skeg hitting you on the head .though i suppose its better than losing it altogether .

JSP · 23 September 2008, 12:52

Yes the cause is obvious.

Blackroady,
thanks, I'll see if I can find the metal ones.

ian parkes · 23 September 2008, 20:09

the beach lifeguards sibs are all fitted with propguards ?

m chappelow · 24 September 2008, 19:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by ian parkes

the beach lifeguards sibs are all fitted with propguards ?

withthe amount of people in the areas they operate and the way some of them drive they need them .

ian parkes · 24 September 2008, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

withthe amount of people in the areas they operate and the way some of them drive they need them .

I have to agree . having been warned of the "rip" and other dangers so many times by a rapidly driven arancia , the only danger i felt i was in was from the rescue boat itself .
Perhaps a Non Emmet tatoo on my bald patch would help

BogMonster · 26 September 2008, 21:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

JSP - you are referring to prop guards and if you do a search you will certainly find some info on here about them. However the prop wasn't the causative agent in the above incident - it was showing off/bad boat handling.

The connection between the seat and the steering wheel is always quite a vital link in the chain where safety is concerned...

I must admit though I do wonder how somebody can fall out of a rib and be hit by the prop on the same boat unless a) they fall A over T over the bow and go right under the centreline of the boat or b) the boat goes round in a full circle and goes back over the top of them?

SeaSkills · 27 September 2008, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

I must admit though I do wonder how somebody can fall out of a rib and be hit by the prop on the same boat

It's unpleasantly easy if you were sitting on the tube on the outside of a tight turn when you fell in. I know two people that this has happened to - one is very lucky to be alive after falling off from a high speed manoeuvre that put him in intensive care for a considerable time after being hit in the face by his own prop, and the other (who went in at slow speed) was also quite badly injured and severely shocked.

Both attributable to either driver error or poor communication between helm and crew, by the way

m chappelow · 27 September 2008, 12:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaSkills

It's unpleasantly easy if you were sitting on the tube on the outside of a tight turn when you fell in. I know two people that this has happened to - one is very lucky to be alive after falling off from a high speed manoeuvre that put him in intensive care for a considerable time after being hit in the face by his own prop, and the other (who went in at slow speed) was also quite badly injured and severely shocked.

Both attributable to either driver error or poor communication between helm and crew, by the way

thats why if you have any sense you would sit inside the boat and not on the tubes though we all do it at times .