Pretty decent rescue
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Pretty decent rescue
Last edited by Senior Pilot; 7th Apr 2021 at 20:39. Reason: Add YouTube
Yes, a job well done - decks and wets ticked off on that one
You'd certainly want a hi-line for that job
Stupid question - why jump in the sea when there is a perfectly good lifeboat next to you?
[email protected]: Would you would ever ask somebody to do this and if so why?
When you're the last one on the ship there's no one to steady the line, perhaps they wanted to avoid the risk of him hitting anything due to the ship's motion.
I'm not sure if that was the case. Initially 8 crewmembers were hoisted off, with 4 remaining behind to attempt to restore order. When that didn't work, they too were hoisted off with the last one taking a quick dip in the water first. I suspect that the engines were no longer running at that point. When you're the last one on the ship there's no one to steady the line, perhaps they wanted to avoid the risk of him hitting anything due to the ship's motion.
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Read a newspaper article somewhere that said they had left it on "autopilot" but found this here (Maritime Bulletin so probably more reliable than a newspaper) which confirms your version that 4 remained onboard until the engines had to be shut down because of the list. Would prefer to be winched from the deck but understand when a vessel is drifting in those seas it becomes very perilous so going into the water might be the safer option.
I did one rescue in South China Sea from a small yacht. The rigging was in such a mess and the yacht was pitching and rolling so much that it was totally unsafe to try to get the winchman on there. Trying to persuade the occupants to jump from a vessel into a very rough sea wasn't easy, but they eventually did it!
This angle gives a better view of the “list”/tilt.
I think it confirms that a long line was a good idea.
The waves were about 49 feet /15 meters high, making the ship pitch and yaw a great deal.
I think it confirms that a long line was a good idea.
The waves were about 49 feet /15 meters high, making the ship pitch and yaw a great deal.
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I saw that the water was beginning to wash over the stern where he was located. It's possible he just thought that the ship was about to capsize and took his chance!
It would have been near impossible to winch him from where he was so I can only assume he was unable or unwilling to get to the upper deck and decided the best thing was to jump into the water and make himself an easier target. Gutsy move as he could have been dragged under the stern and smashed.