Mob

Hightower · 29 November 2006, 22:46

I was studying MOB procedures today and wondered how common this was.

So who's lost Crew over the side? And more importantly how did the recovery go?

codprawn · 29 November 2006, 22:52

I find a boathook works wonders. I have recovered a few people when acting as safety boat and I find that it is much safer to stand off a few feet and let them grab the boathook. Pulling them in is easy of they can assist. Fortunately I have never had to recover a real casualty. Apparently a mesh type netting like the orange security fence stuff makes life a lot easier.

Jimmy_Beam · 29 November 2006, 23:01

Well, it's not in the same context as what your looking for, but it has happened to me lots.

Albiet in rivers. I have flipped many a rubber boat and lost many passengers in cold heavy water. It goes a lot like this.
First: Oh Shit!
Second: Cut power or turn around to get close, then cut power.
Third: Hand then the end of a paddle or throw a rescue bag to get them close to the boat.
Fourth: Grab the lappels of the lifejacket and pull like hell. If they are wearing lifejackets not designed for pulling a person in, or not wearing them at all, cut the engines and let them use the cavitation plates as a step for climbing aboard.
Fifth: Determine thier state of awareness and if you need to get medical attention or just a cup of coffee and some sever mocking to get their blood going.

The only time I have lost an individual overboard in the ocean was in my SIB in fairly large swells. One minute the dog was sleeping on the tube, the next minute she was swimming. (And very confused). All I heard was a sploosh! I looked around and saw that I still had all of the people on board, but no dog. When I asked where the dog went, a smiling, laughing passenger pointed and said over there. So, I motored over to the dog, she swam along side, and I grabbed her scruff and pulled her in. Probably not the gibberish your after, but I felt like rambling.

Jimmy

Hightower · 29 November 2006, 23:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I find a boathook works wonders. I have recovered a few people when acting as safety boat and I find that it is much safer to stand off a few feet and let them grab the boathook. Pulling them in is easy of they can assist. Fortunately I have never had to recover a real casualty. Apparently a mesh type netting like the orange security fence stuff makes life a lot easier.

Did you cut the engine before recovery started?

codprawn · 29 November 2006, 23:13

No - but in neutral - when you have some very nasty rocks close by it's not a good idea. Hence the reason for standing off a bit and not getting too close. If anyone was making for the stern the kill cord whould have been yanked smartly.

It also help a lot to have good crew on board so you can just control the boat and not be bothered by other things.

Hightower · 29 November 2006, 23:18

I was just curious as to whether anyone practises MOB procedure with real people. I know RNLI and other rescue services do. Perhaps next year a group of us could get together and practice before going to the Pub

.

Poly · 29 November 2006, 23:22

never lost crew from my 'RIB' overboard. Have done it in "anger" from sailing dinghy on more than one occasion and that makes doing it in a rib seem dead easy.

Have also recovered sailing dinghy MOBs etc. from a RIB. Those arose through "unexpected" gibes or more often crew stupidity/larking about.

Quote:

Did you cut the engine before recovery started?

Yes. Although I accept that under certain circumstances this may not be advisable.

Hightower · 29 November 2006, 23:26

I rendered assistance to a small sailing dingy once, but that was more to right it than to recover crew.

Poly · 29 November 2006, 23:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I was just curious as to whether anyone practises MOB procedure with real people. I know RNLI and other rescue services do. Perhaps next year a group of us could get together and practice before going to the Pub

.

I think the advantage of real people is that half the battle is getting them back on board. I suggest you don't PRACTICE with a real person unless you can consistently pick up a bouy without actually touching it with the boat. A rib hull is blood hard even at relatively low speed. I'm surprised that the RNLI haven't been forced by obsessive Health and Safety people to use dummies instead.

Hightower · 29 November 2006, 23:41

It is surprising how sometimes it's difficult to position your boat to acually pick things out the water by ones self, particularly in tricky conditions. I've tried it on footballs, bouys and base ball caps. You think you're there and by the time your kill cord is removed and you've clambered to the side it's too late.

Biggles · 30 November 2006, 00:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

I'm surprised that the RNLI haven't been forced by obsessive Health and Safety people to use dummies instead.

The Fire Brigade use dummies for practice casevacs. Because of standard weights etc. I go to briefings with the Fire Brigade and its quite amusing listening to them tutting about lifting real people. And I thought you had to be fit to be in the Fire Brigade.

Biggles · 30 November 2006, 00:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I was just curious as to whether anyone practises MOB procedure with real people. I know RNLI and other rescue services do. Perhaps next year a group of us could get together and practice before going to the Pub

.

Andy, I'll volunteer after I've been to the pub.....

BogMonster · 30 November 2006, 00:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I was just curious as to whether anyone practises MOB procedure with real people. I know RNLI and other rescue services do. Perhaps next year a group of us could get together and practice before going to the Pub

.

Who are you going to throw over the side?

Never tried it but the sea temp here is so low you don't have much time anyway before you needn't worry about whether you bump their head on the hull or not, because apparently the life expectancy in winter sea temps is about 2 minutes!

Hightower · 30 November 2006, 00:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biggles

Andy, I'll volunteer after I've been to the pub.....

Just concentrate on getting me home after the pub

Hightower · 30 November 2006, 00:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Who are you going to throw over the side?

Never tried it but the sea temp here is so low you don't have much time anyway before you needn't worry about whether you bump their head on the hull or not, because apparently the life expectancy in winter sea temps is about 2 minutes!

Surprised you don't hit yer head on Ice before you go in the drink. Do you get Ice flows at Port Stanley

BogMonster · 30 November 2006, 00:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

Surprised you don't hit yer head on Ice before you go in the drink. Do you get Ice flows at Port Stanley

No, the odd iceberg drifts past to the south if bits fall off the Antarctic, but thats all. The sea is just cold because like you, we have a current coming up from the south, but instead of from Mexico it comes from the Antarctic, so skinny dipping is not really on the agenda or bits can fall off

Stoo · 30 November 2006, 03:06

I used to practice when I was sailing a lot... It was an aweful lot slower getting back to the victim than in a RIB, that's for certain.

I figure I get lots of practice retrieving my baseball hat which generally goes flying off my pointy head at least once in every three outings! My trusty SO performs the duties of "spotter" admirably as I wheel about. I think we only drop our speed to about 20 knots to pick it up now. I suppose if it was a body we might drop the speed a little more...

Since I suspect that your query is serious, I have considered something like this: http://www.markuslifenet.com/71MLRIB.htm

I dive alone most of the time and I know my better half would never be able to haul me back in if I was incapacitated or worse!

Biggles · 30 November 2006, 03:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoo

Since I suspect that your query is serious, I have considered something like this: http://www.markuslifenet.com/71MLRIB.htm

Soon to be fitted to all MOD safety boats.

codprawn · 30 November 2006, 04:38

Looks very similar to the orange plastic netting you find on building sites - i suspect the plastic netting is quite a bit cheaper though!!!

jyasaki · 30 November 2006, 06:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Looks very similar to the orange plastic netting you find on building sites - i suspect the plastic netting is quite a bit cheaper though!!!

I was going to comment on your first post, but this one'll do quite nicely.

I took a look at the orange netting for just this purpose. I found it to be a) not "tall" enough (as it's supposed to be rigged), b) nowhere near strong enough (though that's a guess), c) tough to join together to form a big enough piece of netting.

I think a coarser weave nylon net would do the trick (as the net in Stoo's post demonstrates, though I'd like it a bit tighter than what they've got.)

I mostly dive off my boat, quite often solo, so the rig has to be manageable by two people minimum (I assume that even if I'm solo, the incapacitated divers buddy will be there.)

Worst case would be to have to recover one unconscious person while solo; in that case, I would figure on getting them attached to the boat, head clear of the water, and scream for help on the VHF.

jky