Lifejackets

Above: Austen modelling the ' Baltic 380'

The Lifejackets are back down the station after going off for their annual tests. Whilst these are not used often, they are essential bits of kit that Coastguard Rescue Officers need to board a boat or get close to water. They are self inflating so are easy to use and ‘fire’ when they are submerged. We even wear them on the pier. “Why?”

Well early this year Tom and I were called to a diver in distress who was on a boat next to the pier, I was tasked to jump on board, within a minute it looked like we would have to take the boat out to sea to allow the helicopter to put a winchman on board to pick the chap up. It turned out that the winchman was landed on the pier but for one moment I was going out to sea and I needed a jacket. The bottom line is the situation changes quickly at sea and you need to be prepared.

Take the chaps on fishing boat off Peveril Point last year, they snagged a rock and were pitched into the water. When they came to the surface the boat had gone! Yup in under 3 seconds their boat had just gone. Luckily a yacht saw the incident and Swanage Lifeboat launched and picked them up; the boat was nowhere to be found. Very lucky chaps as they were not wearing lifejackets. When asked they said they were in the lockers and that the life ring was tied to the roof to stop it floating away! (isn’t that the point?) Still at least they went home to their families - but only just.

Often people, be they recreational water users or fisherman, don’t wear lifejackets as they get in the way. Fair excuse, no! If you’ve ever been in the sea drifting for an hour hoping to be picked up (mine was a dive boat skipper fell asleep and forgot about me) it’s a very quiet and lonely place and you get an awful long time to think about family and friends. I had a dive lifejacket . There’s really no excuse for not wearing one.

So stick on a lifejacket, preferably a brightly coloured one, (not a Gucci black one that looks good but no bugger can see!) And equally importantly make sure your crew do too.

Talking of Lifejackets , here’s the November Podcast from the MCA – be warned it’s not very cheery.