Posted on 01/09/2015 9:38:32 AM PST by Responsibility2nd
If you’re reasonably fit, don’t panic, the water is not too cold and nothing eats you on the way in, that’s doable.
Follow the sun/moon.
On the history thread of WWII, there was an article about a flier in a B-29 where his shooting bubble broke and he fell out. However, he had a rope tied around his ankle so he could be pulled back up. (Unconsious and frostbit at 4 miles up - but survived.)
Or - have an ignition like on a jet ski that disengages if you fall over. Would be hard to do on a 65-foot yacht. perhaps. Maybe a electronic proximity device type thing one could wear.
9 miles is pretty amazing.
It's not so much knowing how to swim that's important but knowing how to float for hours on end. The Marines taught me to do that and I've never feared deep water since.
Of course, if the water is cold or if man-eating sharks are around, none of that matters anyhow. This guy was extraordinarily fortunate.
But, in this case, I would have been pretty afraid of being shark food... there's not much one can do about sharks. He's lucky he made it without being eaten.
In Coast Guard Boot Camp you have to stay in the pool without touching the sides for an hour. You can tire pretty quick treading water. They teach you to float face down turning your head to each side to breath will expend the least amount of energy.
On the history thread of WWII, there was an article about a flier in a B-29 where his shooting bubble broke and he fell out. However, he had a rope tied around his ankle so he could be pulled back up.
...
On a boat alone on autopilot, a tether should be worn. I think single handers on sailboats wear tethers.
Having long pants on is great too, since you can take them off and tie the legs closed and make a bit of a floatation device out of them. Of course being in Fl means he probably just had shorts or swim trunks on.
The trick is capturing the air prior to tieoff and staying above water. And hypothermia is going to get to you even at water temperatures of 90 before too long.
As a single handed sailor who’s gone many miles alone on autopilot, I’ll say the most important safety device for someone like him isn’t a life jacket; it’s a safety harness that attaches the sailor to the boat all the time.
Of course being in Florida, you might find a bale of marijuana floating by and you can use that as a floatation device if need be.
Fishing alone nine miles out? There is something amiss here. I’m not sure what but something.
Or you can hitch a ride with some Cuban refugees.
That’s very interesting - I had never heard that story of the B-29 crewman.
I’m no great sailor, but I think there are harnesses made especially for the purpose of keeping a person shipboard, especially when they are the only one aboard. But I understand many don’t like them because they get in the way while moving around. And I guess more than 9 times out of 10 it is fine, just an encumbrance.
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