Duck boat tragedy "storm came out of nowhere" BS

[cqaigy2]

I sorta remember the male lifeguards having one, but as a I recall the female lifeguards never had any clothes or anything on. At least I never saw any.

I vaguely remember something in their hands, but when they started running to rescue someone, well i kinda lost focus on the hands anyway.:confused2:

 

[wagne223]

I dont mean to sound callus, however, personally I always assume I'm on my own.
No one is going to help me but me.

It bothers me that people 100 percent count on the operator of an entertainment business to be responsible for their safety.

Sure they can be sued, but we only have one chance at life. When it is gone it is gone.

In Florida there are a lot of water activities. As well as tourist and entertainment venues.

I always pay attention to the safety information. In buildings I know where exits are, I know where fire extinguishers are.

In a boat, I know where the life jackets are and keep one within reach. I dont need the operator to tell me when to put it on.

Summer storms can form directly over water in as little as 20 minutes. If I notice a drop in temp, wind picking up, or water getting choppy, the life jacket goes on! As does my wife.

Thankfully we have never been in an emergency situation. We have been in some rough seas and had a couple tense moments, especially in inlets, but we were as prepared as we could be and the only ones wearing our life jackets!

Public service announcement.......you are the only one that cares for you and yours.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I feel the same. You can be an engine or a caboose. Most people are just a caboose along for the ride and sometimes the train derails.

 

[ruffdog]

I'm a take charge type person so if I had been on the boat, the preservers would have been handed out in a calm manner, people helping people, and would have been close to knifing the windows/top as weather worsened.

 

[/pine]

You can't assume cognizance...if accidents were expected they would not be called accidents...

This tragedy was caused by the culpability of the owners and operators of a vessel for hire It's their duty to inform passengers of conditions and safety measures...

 

[MossRoad]

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Notice that life guards always have a boat shaped floatation device that they keep between them and the victim.
I believe the purpose is just that, to prevent the victim from fighting the life guard.
That device is sort of shaped like a miniature surf board.

They didn't have those when I was starting out. Eventually, they came around. It was a flexible foam that you could put around a person and clip it under their armpits. It had a shoulder strap and rope so you can throw it over you shoulder and it trails behind you when you swim. When you get to the victim, you stop short so they can't grab you, pull the float up to you with the rope, then extend the float at the victim so they grab it, instead of you. Once you get them calmed down, you can either have them hang on it while you tow them in, or you can hook it around them. Forget what it's official name is now. I liked them a lot. Keeps the panicking person off you.

 

[dmccarty]

...

I don't remember if it was for tanks or trucks, but there was some crazy system to make them amphibious, which failed in the surf at D day, killing soldiers.
...

I don't remember the DUCKS having a system to make them amphibious but there were tanks that were fitted with flotation system that sorta worked. Both the DUCKs and amphibious tanks were not meant to go out in storm conditions but that is what happened at D-Day. They picked the best day of a bad forecast and went.

Later,
Dan

 

[Industrial Toys]

It does beg the question. If those PFDs were not for a situation like that, what were they intended for? Maybe just To pass CG requirements.

In those final moments, with that Duck riding so low in the water, it MUST have been full of water. And that still isn't a reason to at least attempt to hand out the PFDs? AT least to children or seniors.

 

[dmccarty]

Yes. The water is pretty wide at that part of the lake, but they don't cross it. That would take a really really long time with the slow speed of the ducks. They just take it in the water, motor around for about 10 minutes and come back to the ramp right next to the other ramp where the next one is splashing in.

...

That is interesting and I bet will be a key part of the decision by the DUCK captains to go in the water. I suspect the captains did not see the storm coming but if the lake is wide, it sure seem like they should have seen the wind/rain front unless it was a white squall or some other not easily seen wind storm. The NTSB will report on the weather.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

...
What I'm trying to figure out is during the first sign of the storm heading in, why didn't the "captain" of the vessel just head to land, ANY piece of land?
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The report I have read was that when the DUCKs went into the water it was calm and then the wind and waves hit. It can be very difficult to turn in waves, and from the video I have seen, the operator of the DUCKS was trying to keep the bow into the waves. At the point, that is all they could do because if they turned they would have flooded.

I have read of several reports of large, ocean going catamarans being capsized by sudden gusts of wind. One was in the Great Lakes. They were in light wind conditions and had lowered sails because it was night or dusk when the wind came out of no where and flipped the catamarans. The crew heard the wind then they were upside down. No chance to react at all.

My theory is that the DUCKS thought they could get in and out of the water before the storm hit if they even knew a storm was on the way.

Later,
Dan