What a tragic chain of events.
Just a couple observations....
- A throw rope or life ring would do no good once the victim goes unconscience.
- A rope tied around the person going in is an O.K. thing, however, how many of us could pull a 150 pound person up out of a pit with a rope? The rope would have to be very thick in order for someone to get a good grip on it and that person would have to be very strong. You would almost have to have a harness, ropes and winch to recover someone fast enough to get air going into them again.
- Most people cannot hold their breath for a minute while sitting still. Add movement to that, and your oxygen gets used up by your body very fast. In 46 years, I have never met someone who can swim underwater farther than I can. I can only swim 50 or 60 meters at the most and only after I take my time and hyperventilate for a few minutes beforehand. I know there are free divers who can stay under much longer than I can. However, when I am swimming underwater, I am in control, it was planned, and I am making maximum use of my energy. In a panic situation, jumping into a pit after a victim and running, grabbing, carrying and climbing a ladder, I doubt I could hold my breath for 20-30 seconds, tops. I know adrenaline and super-human strength can take over and carry you a few more seconds, but a normal spouse, parent or child will panic and use up what little oxygen they have almost instantly when they see a loved one in trouble.
- I cannot recall the official red cross numbers, and perhaps someone else can, but isn’t it something like most people go completely unconscious after 2 minutes with out oxygen and permanent brain damage starts to occur after 4 minutes? Add to that the affects of the gasses in a manure pit, and you have to wonder if the body attempting to breath those gasses might not last even that long.
In my opinion, the best thing to do would be to prevent it in the first place. Manure pit deaths happen every year. You have to think that people in the industry would know about it and be wary of it. It is completely avoidable. But then again, I have done stupid things that I knew were stupid beforehand and did them anyway.
Again, a tragic situation and an awful thing for the family, friends and rescue personnel to deal with. My thoughts are with them.
