Buddy Sailing Emergencies – What If?

Erica Caswell

Members buddy sail at their own risk and we have already published some reminders and advice about doing this safely:

Buddy sailing – how to minimise the likelyhood of getting into difficulties

Here are some things to think about if an incident does occur when you are buddy sailing and there is no safetyboat on the water. Every scenario is different and there is no ‘right answer’ as what is the best thing to do will vary according to the situation but here are a few principles:

Assess the situation as best you can –How serious is it? Can you tell what has happened? What is going to be the best and quickest course of action? – Sail over / alert others / go to shore to phone for help / emergency services/ launch safetyboat/ sail over again with another person on board to assist the injured/sail the craft back?

Alert others as soon as possible – (means of communication? – shouting / whistle / waving signal / mobile phone / radio)

Do not endanger yourself – do you have the ability, knowledge, fitness level to help or are you just going to add to the difficulties?

Triage – if there is more than one person / craft involved decide who needs help most first – the one making the most noise is not necessarily the one most in need of your help.  Are they conscious? Are they in the water? Are they near the lee shore? Are they a child? Are they a beginner?

Count heads – can you see the right number of heads? 

People before boats  – always prioritise people over equipment. If you need to ditch your boat to help someone else – you might consider capsizing and inverting it as it will travel less fast that way

Plan, manoeuvre, escape – before doing anything like coming alongside or jumping in to swim to their boat/board – just have a quick think about how you are going to execute it safely, communication with the other party, what if it doesn’t work and be prepared to back out of the manoeuvre and try again to execute better or come up with a plan B

Prevention is better than cure – before you sail, think through the worst case scenario and risk assess your choices. Make sure you have proactively sought a buddy and agree a plan to sail together, in what area, for how long, how you are going to communicate. Sail well within your competency level, do not ‘push it’ in marginal conditions. Carry a whistle/phone/radio. Check your boat and your kit before you set off. Use a mast head float. Check the weather forecast and YDSC webcams and be aware that off shore winds are often stronger on the water than they look form the shore. Practise your coming alongside and man over board skills on one of the marker buoys.

Know where to get help and where resources are kept – there are first aid resources in the main club room just inside the door on the right. There is a defibrillator in a yellow unlocked box on the outside of the building (between the bottom entrance door and the garage door). There is a stretcher and emergency shelter in the garage, hung up on the wall. The notices below are displayed on the exterior of the building by the clubhouse doors (red) and internally by the office and the galley. Please use and act on the information provided, but assess carefully whether the emergency services need calling or whether we can deal with it ourselves. If the emergency services are called send someone up to the gate with a radio to direct them.

YORKSHIRE DALES SAILING CLUB – EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN

 IN THE EVENT OF A SERIOUS INCIDENT

  1. ASSESS THE SITUATION (DO NOT ENDANGER SELF OR OTHERS)
  2. RAISE THE ALARM AND HAIL FOR ASSISTANCE
  3. CALL 999 AND ASK FOR AMBULANCE, FIRE OR POLICE

STATE YOUR NAME:

TELEPHONE NUMBER YOU ARE CALLING FROM:

LOCATION:

    • GRIMWITH RESERVOIR, HEBDEN, BD23 5ED on the B6265
    • GRID REF SE 06432 64203
    • X = 406432 Y= 464203
    • WHAT3WORDS LOCATION: STRENGTH/QUILT/FRIDAY

NATURE OF INCIDENT:

NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED/INJURED:

CURRENT SITUATION:

  1. EVACUATE PEOPLE FROM BUILDINGS/ WATER AS APPROPRIATE
  2. SUMMON FIRST AIDER/ MEDICALLY QUALIFIED MEMBER(S) AND CARRY OUT FIRST AID AS APPROPRIATE
  3. INFORM COMMODORE: LESTER MULLIGAN or TRAINING PRINCIPAL ERICA CASWELL
  4. CONTINUE TO MANAGE THE SITUATION AS BEST YOU CAN, ALLOCATE TASKS, KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND CALM AND AWAIT ARRIVAL OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
  5. OPEN AN INCIDENT LOG: MONITOR AND RECORD EVENTS, ACTIONS TAKEN, TIMES AND WHO HAS BEEN INFORMED
  6. DO NOT CONTACT OR TALK TO THE PRESS OR MEDIA.