this is just one thing and I am sure someone will have something to say about it. this is a true story
I couple of men were on the shore of a river with their canoe. They had not gotten into the water yet and were actually debating on wether to launch or not. Down the river in the rapids a man came floating by face down. Fearing the man was injured the two men on the shore jump into the canoe and go out to rescue the man. The Man is dead. they take him to shore and call the police. While the junior officer is consoling the two guys (after all they had just found a dead guy floating down the river) the senior officer came up and ordered the junior officer to issue tickets to the two men. It seems the two men had not ran back to the truck and got their life jackets. Now it gets better the men go to court. The Judge states" My officers were right to issue you both tickets. Why would you in your right mind go in the river with out your life jackets?" $85.00 fine each.
I am so glad that was not me I am afraid there would have been a very large fine for contempt of court. Having had a similar incident happen to me I can say I did not grab my life jacket even though I am a firm believer in them. two adults had swamped their canoe and were in the water. I saw them ran to my boat jumped in fired it up and hit full throttle in a no wake zone. Got to the people and pulled them and their canoe out. At no point in time was I worried about a life jacket no time to think about it. I feel the judge was a idiot for fining the two gentlemen.
Hey Harleybob, you are right, that Judge is an Idiot! The guy face down could still be alive, in that position I would not stop to put on a life jacket even if it was in the boat. Sometimes the court deserves some contempt.
All the best.
Mike.
Those two men should have contacted the local television news show. Here in Ohio, they would have had their Investigative Team asking some very direct & embarassing questions of the Officers & the Judge, then put it on TV. In the case mentioned, that’s what I would do. What a ridiculous outcome for 2 brave & unselfish men.
Mike
It is sad, in the blink of an eye, two thoughtful and brave men are condemed for trying to do their best. Forever their regards for their fellow man will be changed and all because of one IDIOT sitting on a bench in a court. I wonder if that person, floating in the river, was his son or brother of the judge the outcome would have been the same?
I agree that the ticket was stupid. BUT…the very first step of ANY rescue attempt is to insure the safety of the rescuers. Hitting the water to try and rescue someone in trouble in an unsafe manner is a recipe for disaster. Many, many, many people trying to rescue others from drowning have themselves ended up drowned or needing to be rescued…further compounding the difficulty for the next batch of rescuers and NOT saving the person they tried to.
They should have gotten a lecture and a thank you, not tickets.
Bob,
After reading the stories, it appears the folks were ALREADY paddling with nothing aboard but inflatable seat cushions…I would assume that is a valid violation, HOWEVER, a verbal warning, given the circumstances, would seem far more appropriate. The one article did say the charges were dropped.
Mike
From today’s Portland Oregonian Newspaper
A man dove from a bank into a River in Oregon and didn’t surface right away. The incident was seen by two men on the river bank.
Gil-Knight immediately began swimming across the river to help; another man joined him. As they approached, the diver – later identified as 22-year old Fernando Ramos of Seattle – bobbed back to the surface. He appeared to be unconscious.
Gil-Knight, the other swimmer and Ramos’ friend, 23-year-old Abner Dobon – grabbed Ramos’ arms and legs and began to float him back to shore.
The man was air lifted to a hospital where he is in critical condition but alive thanks to the two life savers. Police were at the scene along with life flight personal.
Oh yeah, the two men were thanked for their quick thinking and neither received a citation for not wearing a floation device.
As far as anyone who think’s someone going to another’s rescue is foolish and might endanger themselves or other’s, ask yourself, what if that was my wife, sister, brother, father, mother, daughter or son…would you just stand there biting the back of your hand and hoping they would be all right? I know what I would do and if I died trying…I died caring.
Reading the articles in soloman’s links it becomes clear that the people had already launched and were paddling when the woman jumped. They did not launch in a hurry without all of the customary gear in order to attempt a rescue. If the latter were the true I’m pretty sure a case could be made for the urgency of the situation. As it is I believe that while the deputy maybe could have cut them some slack he was technically correct and possibly motivated by a desire not to come to the recovery of their drowned bodies in the future.
I guess I’d make a lousy cop. I think there is an old cop saying “Let the punishment fit the crime”. Yes, a warning would have been the logical repremand. IMO
I think that issuing the citations was a bit too strict but one must consider that the officer was under stress too. I respect the compassion and heroic effort of the rescuers but I must admit to being a little upset about their operating a water craft without the proper safety gear on board. I would never operate a water craft without the proper PFD on-board for all occupants and within their reach. I also have at least one throw-able PFD and a long length of heavy duty rope with D ring on one end aboard at all times. It is very easy to clip the throw-able PFD to the rope then give it a toss to the victim. I never get into my canoe without putting on my life jacket. All occupants of my canoe will wear their life jacket.
The ONLY time I would take the boat close enough to reach out and grab the victim is if they are already unconscious. Think this being cowardly? What will you do when a conscious, panicked victim capsizes your boat?
All rescuers must know their own limitations. Never exceed your own limitations. If the situation escalates beyond your abilities, you must wait for professional, trained help! A great way to find your limitations is to take a Red Cross drown proofing course. Think you can swim two laps around an Olympic regulation pool, in full battle dress, with a 75 pound field pack and weapon? That is what we as Army aviators were required to do. Even without the battle dress and pack how hard is it to pull the weight of victim through moving or still water without your own PFD? I sure hope your life insurance is paid up because your family is going to need it. The first thing a life guard grabs before jumping into the water is a PFD.
Here is a good site about the do and don’t of water rescue:
Wow what a mess. I guess the above link is the closest thing to the truth to go by?
Canoeist, without life jackets, witness a person come off a bridge and fall 465 feet (should we have to mention from that height death is assured). A horrific sight for the professional and lay person alike.
In the eyes of a professional they observed lay people risk life in a ?recovery? operation. Pro?s will not do this; it creates a snowball effect (you go I go or you went now I have to, it says so on the car door). I might not have to go if you were wearing a life vest but since you were not I now I have to go as fast as I can with my heart in my throat and put the lives of me, my partner?s and any one else?s involved to assist you, JUST BECAUSE YOUR NOT WEARING A LIFE JACKET.
But because your recovery went well and you acted selflessly and no one got hurt you get a free all day pass on breaking the law that was put into effect because of a tragic event that no one remembers. Sound about right?
ok now that I have taken a moment to read and process the news articles and get the whole story or should I say as close to what happened as possible I will say this: If the whole incident had not hapened and they had just been caught without life jackets while paddling the snake write them up. Unfortunately that is not what happened. With everything that happened to them that day the sgt who gave the citations should be cited for extreme caulousness, no heart, and most definately no brain.
That being said these four people were not the brightest bulbs in the factory for thinking a inflatable seat coushion would save them in the river. I have been up there in that portion of the river and I can tell ya it can get mighty scary. Fact of the matter is from Burley Idaho to the hells canyon I would not want to be in the water with no life jacket.
I have to agree with Jonzee on this one. a lot more tack could have been used by the officer in this situation. A warning should have been issued in a diplimatic way and left at that. My heart goes out to the 4 rescuers. The dreams they will have for the rest of their lifes will be horrible. I wish them all the best.
I think the punishment for the rescuers for not wearing thier life vests should have been to take a course in water safety. A lecture or a fine is not going to help.
