A Big Thanks To Swifty Ie Tim And Chirs P For Saving Me And Bethany Today

Daniel TD5 · 13 February 2005, 22:14

I am sitting here feeling a bit shocked and dazed it could have been so diffrent

i must take my hat off to tim and chris for the rescue they carried out to day on the thames pulling my seven year old bethany and my self from a 5 knot
tide with no regard for there own safety

as i can,t remember much i am sure the lads that were out with us to will add the bits i forget

it start with us heading down river to the barrier we stopped for the lads to
group up so i got the camera out to take some shots.
i can only think i hit the choke switch with my knee stalling the engine. i then put the camera down as i saw i was heading for a very big barge i put the boat in gear to go but nothing was happening as i had stalled and not noticed. i then in panic mode tryed to get it started in gear at which point i hit a mooring rope with the A frame so i grabbed hold of this rope to pull the boat under but the tide was to strong. i think at that stage tim and chris came in to help. but as the tide was so strong it was tilting the rib against the rope with the a frame the rope was stuck under a nav light which in the end broke as the rib came back down
bethany was sent flying into the thames i then jumped in after her to stop her floating off tim then cut his engine and pulled her with in seconds into his boat
then mr rat and mrs rat came in to take bethany off to a warm car we then recoverd my rib with chris p searider and tim help to tow me back to dry land

i would like to say again thank you to tim (swifty) chris p and richard and his wife mr and mrs rat of all your help

i them all a large drink

and worst of all the thing started first time with no choke when on the muffs
at home

DAN TD5

Jimbo · 13 February 2005, 22:47

Jesus, that all sounds as though it got a little hairy. Thankfully sounds like there were enough people there to help you out quickly.

Whatever you do, don't let it put you off getting back on the water!

chrisallse · 13 February 2005, 22:58

Really glad your all O.K Dan, proves how important safety is where water is involved. Hope Bethany has not been too frightened, give her our love.

Kim and Chris (ribsters.net)

Rich L · 13 February 2005, 23:33

I didn't see much of what happened except Tim or Chris hauling Dan out of the water (have you seen the size of Dan!).

All very shocking, especially when I realised that Bethany had been in.

Really glad everyone's OK Dan. You had us worried!

Well done to Tim, Chris , Bilge & Mrs Bilge - you were all fantastic.

Richard B · 13 February 2005, 23:50

Good work indeed from your cruising companions, Dan.

We're really pleased to know you're both OK - sounds like a very scary few minutes. When things start to go wrong, things happen really quickly, don't they?

Now here's the crucial question.... will your wife let Bethany out with you on the next sub-5's expedition? (And will she let you out!?!)

Bilge Rat · 14 February 2005, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard B

Good work indeed from your cruising companions, Dan.

We're really pleased to know you're both OK - sounds like a very scary few minutes. When things start to go wrong, things happen really quickly, don't they?

Now here's the crucial question.... will your wife let Bethany out with you on the next sub-5's expedition? (And will she let you out!?!)

Rich i think you hit the nail on the head, this thing happened so very quickly that it was almost over as quickly as it started, fair play to Swifty and Chris parker for there part in the rescue, they were both in there like rats up drain pipes and both have the experience and knowledge to pull of what was a difficult potentially life threatening rescue.

From our point we could see exactly what was happening and can recall accurately the turn of events.

Dan lost his engine just upstream of a nasty looking cement barge and started to drift back with the tide onto it, he made a grab for a mooring line and seemed to be holding the boat off the barge at this point, both Chris and Tim went in to try and put a line onto Dans boat, this was hampered by the fact they were both trying to control there own boats in the current and at the same time secure a line onto Dans bow, Dan was still holding onto the barge mooring rope at this point, as Tim began to take up the slack the boat spun around under the mooring rope and the A frame snagged on the rope, the rope slipped up the A frame and caught fast around the light at the top, as the side lights both pinged off the boat rocked over to one side and as it recovered Bethany rocked backwards and straight over the side into the water, from our vantage point it looked as if Dan had gone over with her but later analysis showed that he'd actually dived in to grab her, Tim came around quickly and grabbed Bethany form the water now only a matter of feet away from the front edge of the barge, Chris had put himslef between a large mooring post and the scene and we went in quickly to help where we could, but by the time i'd got myself under the mooring rope Dan was on Tims boat.
They then pulled Dans boat out into the river and we quickly grabbed Bethany and took off back down to where the cars were parked to sort her out while Tim, Chris and Dan attempted to recover and restart Dans boat to no avail.

We were well impressed with Bethany's life jacket and the way it activated on contact with the water, she was wearing a pink hat that was still bone dry back at the car, the jacket fired off so quickly her head didn't even go under the water, we are now considering changing our life jackets for auto inflating in light of what we saw happen. Dan feels he had a lucky escape yesterday, when you take your eye off the ball even for a second mother nature takes the opportunity to kick your arse......Dan welcome to the club mate.

MeMe · 14 February 2005, 10:14

............too bad, these things happen mate. The main thing is, you're all ok. Well done to all involved, perhaps once the dust has settled a bit we can analyse, in more detail what happened and what we can ALL learn from such an incident - I hasten to say incident and not accident. Anyway - rreally glad you are all safe and I very much hope your family will not be put off such adventures again - my daughter is 8 so I can empathise with how you all feel.

Bilge Rat · 14 February 2005, 11:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeMe

............ perhaps once the dust has settled a bit we can analyse, in more detail what happened and what we can ALL learn from such an incident

I agree with Graham on this, without the snipping and piss taking ribnet is a great forum to learn from and these incidents need to be said, and talked about in the hope that someone will learn something from someone elses misfortune.
In this situation i think the only thing Dan done wrong was to be so close to the barge, and then losing his engine compounded matters.
Hindsight is a wonderful things and its easy to sit around later and talk about what we should have done or if it happens again what we'd do different but situations dictate actions and sometimes you have to make the best of whats at hand at the time, we could all do with practicing our skills and one of the actions we've talked about after this is a skills practice day during the summer, man over board, towing etc.

Swifty · 14 February 2005, 11:48

I have sent Dan my recollections and will leave him to digest/share his thoughts. After all it was Dans 'event' and the last word should go to him.

Personally I think Dan showed exactly where his priorities were... His daughter and not for himself or his boat. Bravo Mate.

Thanks also to Chris P, the Bilge rats, Rich L and crew. It was a team effort.

PS next time take a towel!

Scary Des · 14 February 2005, 12:17

I agree with MeMe and Mr Rat

Dan has laid the bare facts on the table, accepting his involvement and acknowledging his mistakes and can only be commended; some people find this hard to do and would wish to blame others or give excuses.

I am not saying that you can only be forgiven after a bit of grovelling, what I am trying to say is that you can only learn from your mistakes once you admit that they have happened and that you are involved.

I think to be a fair, Dan didn’t do anything wrong, he might have done it differently, but what he did was not wrong. Judging tide flow or current is very difficult and it is an area that the professionals get wrong regularly. Equally diving in after a casualty is a difficult decision but I’ve known it save lives. Two of Dan’s safety precaution did work, his daughter was wearing a life jacket and he was travelling in company

The only things I would suggest using the wisdom of hindsight

is an engine stall buzzer and a throw line, having said that both of these need time to deploy or react to and it sound like it happened so fast these might not have helped.
Well done to all involved for their quick reaction it stopped an incident turning into a accident.

Des

Nick Hearne · 14 February 2005, 13:48

Dan glad to hear you are both well & well done to every one involved!
One question Dan what type of auto life jacket was your daughter wearing?
Was it hammer or pellet?
All the bast
Nick

Hightower · 14 February 2005, 14:31

Dan, glad you and your Daughter are OK. Its a fact that these things could happen to anyone and not just you. Its easy for anyone to think that they could deal with a problem, but when it actually happens......?

If anything is clear about "solo" Ribbing, it is the short commings of not having enough crew to assist in event of an emergency, thankfully you all did the sencible thing and went out together as a group, but handling a RIB by ones self and trying to do otherthings whilst boat handling aren't an easy job.

You did what anyone of us would have done and I commend you all for what you did.

Andy

Bilge Rat · 14 February 2005, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

Dan glad to hear you are both well & well done to every one involved!
One question Dan what type of auto life jacket was your daughter wearing?
Was it hammer or pellet?
All the bast
Nick

I can answer this one as i've currently got Bethanys life jacket at home, its hydrostatic, i've had a very good look at it and it really looks good, the speed it inflated was increadable, one good tip though if you have long hair is to tie it back as Bethanys got tangled in the velcro at the back of the neck and became a job for us to untangle in order to get it off her, suppose its not a big deal but having to rip out her hair was the last thing we wanted to do considering the poor thing had been for a swim in the Thames.

Daniel TD5 · 14 February 2005, 15:01

i got it from mike at herne bay he has last years charter ones for sale he buys new each year its cheaper than a service which he requires for charter
work

i paid £40.00

mike gets hold of all sorts of lifejackets new and used ones for very good prices

me and mr bilge rat can say it is top class stuff

its was so good that her hat was dry after and they pull 194 newtons which is the same as a adult type

gavin · 14 February 2005, 17:38

Glad to hear you both are ok, and well done for making sure Bethany had a proper jacket,its always just how easy a mishap can happen, sed me a pm I want to explain the reving, when cold and under load of your new tow vehicle, I read your post on the L200 site cheers gavin

Wayne Rogers · 14 February 2005, 18:14

Hi Dan
Great to get the phone call from you this morning and to know that you and little Betheny are OK,As we said it's great to have somebody else with you when out on the Ribs.It made me realise how easy it is for something to go seriously wrong in a matter of seconds.I will certainly remember that in the future as I do go out most of the time cruising on my own.
Don't forget Dan that you and Bethany are more than welcome to come out whenever you want with me for a trip when the weather warms up so that Betheny can regain her confidence on the water.I really hope that it hasn't put here off for good.

See you soon

Wayne

Daniel TD5 · 14 February 2005, 19:07

thanks for all your support and the help of all my friends this sunday

i hope very much that people reading this thread will learn by its topic.
when i took my rib out on sunday. i did not for one second think i would get in to trouble let alone into the water and in great danger

i will never go out alone again its just to high a risk if tim or chris and mr and mrs rat had not be so close to help me and bethany it could have been such a
bad ending

it happened so quick that not much more could have been done by my self
or others. the end result was what we wanted me and bethany are fine but cold and my rib recovered with minor damage. ive been helped with all i need from you lot

i have inclosed the pictures taken by tim not knowning at that time the events that were to unfold in the next few seconds

just have a look at the size of the barge with a 5kt tide racing by the picture show me hanging on for dear life and chris coming in to help. tim
then must have seen the danger and came in to help to

tim as told me the rope breaking the nav light off and allowing the boat to level had sent me backwards over the side and bethany flying over the side of the bow

and tim then with out any regard for him self or his boat cut his engine in the current to avoid any damge to us from his prop and recoverd bethany and me fromt the water and then re started is own rib and carried on with the rescue of my rib

i will see how its pans out geting bethany back on my rib in the future if she gives it up i will give it up to but she like the sun and the water so finger crossed

DAN TD5

Louise · 14 February 2005, 20:33

Wow. That is a huge barge - I thought it was a wharf!

Really glad to hear you are all OK. I had a dunking myself on one of my first trips out on our RIB (my fault - I thought I would gently slide off the bows and land standing up in a little dinghy and then gracefully step onto the pontoon. Needless to say, the dinghy rocked violently when my significant weight landed in it and pitched me backwards over the side. I was fished out by some nice chaps who had been enjoying a pint outside the pub at the quayside.) Anyway, the point of this is to say that I was quite shaken afterwards and rather timid the next few times I went out but Richard was really good, only increasing the speed by small increments and only if I was totally happy, etc. Children are often much more resilient than we think so hopefully you & Bethany will be out on the water again soon!

Rogue Wave · 14 February 2005, 20:55

I am glad you are both OK and that your safety systems worked. I believe the reason why we wear all the safety kit is that at some time we expect to go in the water, problem is it's never convenient.

Your nipper will probably see it as part of lifes rich tapestry, talk it through with her and get her to help you fix(!) the boat ready for the next time you go out! make a point of showing the problem and how it was fixed....even if it means replacing your knee!

re the Missus Well you had the perfect opportunity to get back in her good books today!

Your right you do owe your buddies a drink but they'll be feeling good that they could help. If you are going to carry a throw line then I'd practice throwing it a lot so you know how to use it and what range you have if you ever need to!

Once again I am very glad you and Bethany are OK

Bilge Rat · 14 February 2005, 22:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

I am glad you are both OK and that your safety systems worked. I believe the reason why we wear all the safety kit is that at some time we expect to go in the water, problem is it's never convenient.

Your nipper will probably see it as part of lifes rich tapestry, talk it through with her and get her to help you fix(!) the boat ready for the next time you go out! make a point of showing the problem and how it was fixed....even if it means replacing your knee!

re the Missus Well you had the perfect opportunity to get back in her good books today!

Your right you do owe your buddies a drink but they'll be feeling good that they could help. If you are going to carry a throw line then I'd practice throwing it a lot so you know how to use it and what range you have if you ever need to!

Once again I am very glad you and Bethany are OK

Hey Rogue.... did you see those Seariders in action mate on Dans posted pics

what an awsome sight to be seen