Rescue Board Idea

[jtower3941]

rescue

The stokes basket is the best way to go. Saying that pulling a 190lb driver over the side of a boat requires a lot of muscle in the boat. Have EMT or Paramedic in rescue boat only way to go for quick assessment. But now you have driver EMT and 1 or 2 muscle men requires a large boat. Have expierence capsizing in rescue boat with this method. Best way is pontoon boat with drop platform and wench to pull basket with 220lb driver with ease.
Region 3 has two stokes basket rescue boats that wench the basket and driver over the side with ease and pick up to shore time is excelent. Assessment by EMT excelent. Only three people required.

When putting flotation on stokes basket. Put only small amt of noodles that keep basket floating just below the surface so you don't have to lift the injured driver up into the basket. Drivers jacket will keep him/her afloat in basket. Back board must be tied to stokes so it does not float away. Use quick release knots for stokes to back board so on shore you do not have to carry the stokes and back board to rescue personnel on shore.

[blueskyracer]

We use a "party barge" pontoon boat for our rescue craft. It carrys a EMT, diver and driver. It is low enough to the water for a very easy lift inside. You must have an area when the condition can be assesed immediately and treatment started if necessary.

Hoping a driver can grap onto a floating surfboat as it passes by at speed is a pipe dream. I believe the Navy SEAL's do something like this in there training.

[Kev43V]

be careful about what you assume will be an easy lift over the side. A 200 pound guy + plus soaked cut gear. since you have to reach out to lift up....
do not forget about the historical society... they will help out on safety and education. just write your proposal and present it at the national meeting

[em3899]

I didn't say it was an easy lift just a doable lift. I have tried it and yes it is very hard. Our team uses 2 different Kirts craft boats with hinged front ramps. We can and have pulled LARGE drivers into the boat with no isusse(sp). Also big divers 275+ damm getting old and wide.

[Kev43V]

I didn't say it was an easy lift just a doable lift

LOL i actually was not referring to your post. But to blue sky's. "easy lift over the side"

I have felt for several years that this is something we should practice.
I feel it would open some eyes as to the difficulty of that simple action. while reaching out a foot or so past the side of the boat and down, while standing on a slick boat bottom.
It would also open some eyes as to why it is not such a good idea to send a mid sized teenager out in the rescue boat in the first place.
While I am on this soap box....
Ambulances should never be allowed to nose in. they should only be backed in. To me it is asinine to put it in a position that it will have to be backed out and turned around in a bad situation. IT takes time to get the driver to the ambulance in the first place. then the patient has to be stabilized. then finally the trip can start. Do not add to that by making it impossible for the driver to just pull out of the pits.

[14-H]

Hmmm right. Brings up an interesting point, I wonder how many of our corner workers are prepared for that?

Do y'all have dedicated (Trained) rescue boat personel?

****.

I will not run a race unless we have a trained EMT on at least one of the rescue boats.

Where can I get one of those boards?

[Brian10s]

We looked into this a couple of years ago. Our water rescue crew at the time had extensive training with the board. They told us that for it to work well, we would need to 2 person board. This way, the rescue diver would ride on the skidoo (someone else drives) and jump into the water to assist the injured racer onto the board. Then the rescue diver would climb on the board and ride beside the injured driver, helping to stabilize the driver and the board. They said it is best used in situations where speed to the beach is more important than assessing the injuries or stabilizing.

We were going to test it at Franklin one year but they could not secure the board that weekend.

Ed,
Do a search on rescue boards. You can find everything on the Google.

[Mrs blueskyracer]

Mark, I don't think you would want to tow an injured driver unless they were securely fastened into a stokes or a back board. In fact as an EMT if I allowed that to take place it would be considered patient abandonment, and I could be sued. I think that all race sanctions require an EMT and ambulance on site. I know we are required to have a boat on the course along with personnel that are capable of doing a water rescue.

Now for a non injured driver somekind of towed device might be used.

Now if you were having a testing day and a friend with a boat was there incase you needed a tow the value of having something like this around might be good. Moving a patient closer shore to receive that has been summoned via a cell phone call to 911 would save valuable minutes.

[mdaspit]

Hoping a driver can grap onto a floating surfboat as it passes by at speed is a pipe dream. I believe the Navy SEAL's do something like this in there training.

Oh no, I wasn't thinking anything like that, you're right that would be a very bad idea.

Here's what I was thinking- Driver in the water, small boat pulls up along side pulling a rescue board on a short yoke, 2nd man in rescue boat goes in the water, rescue board or sled, is made to have positive buoyancy fore,and negative buoyancy at the aft end, which would be overcome while underway, rescue "diver" slides board under diver, and hangs on to the board and diver as it is towed to shore.

Think water Toboggan.

Quick, on your way to the EMT and Ambulance where all the good stuff is...

Small footprint, no pontoon trailer that has to be hauled back and forth, because down here?...sometimes we drive 8-12 hours to get to a race.

[hydroid]

Good Idea, do it!

Mark, you're initial idea is good, keep it simple, let's not overthink this for every possible situation....
At Lock Haven, down the back stretch, I went out the side at 60+, cartwheeld, bucketed helmet, stunned/beat up. No bloody way i could have climbed into boat, or have been hauled(210# with gear). Although a 14' aluminum cornerboat, they brought the basket around on a short boom, dropped it over below the surface, I laid on back and in the boat in 60secs. The floating board could have worked just as well (3'x7') and pulled me 200yds to pits.

Mark's idea is not meant to be used when someone is cut/unconscious/need CPR/colonoscopy...or staging Navy Seal rescues.

If the corner boats have a floatboard, "where/when appropriate" you don't require the rescue boat to get on scene. Discretion to be used here, only if driver indicates they're OK, it's their choice to either climb into boat or ride the board. Obviously, if not OK, get rescue boat on scene, let EMS pro's take over.

Mark, good idea, make a prototype, keep it simple, test it,..Git'R dun....let us know what works, we'll duplicate.

[Moon child]

I am on my way back offshore to an oil rig this weekend. I will get as much literature as I can on the boards that we use. There is no problem strapping people in while in the water and with the life jacket on. More details to come.

[mdaspit]

I am on my way back offshore to an oil rig this weekend. I will get as much literature as I can on the boards that we use. There is no problem strapping people in while in the water and with the life jacket on. More details to come.

Excellent. Thank you Dave

[jtower3941]

If you read the rule book. It state you must have 2 two rescue boat with ability to recover injuryed drivers. The EMT's/Paramedic are for care of the injuryed driver not part of the recovery crew. The EMT/Paramedic would not want to go into the water to assess his patient and assessing from a pickup boat is diffcult. Assessment of C spine, long bone fractures and elertness is a touch, feel and see procedure. Jet boat is quick and leaves little wake and is excellent in getting a diver to the drivers side and assisting driver into stokes basket. I also agree that we should practice rescue procedures. Most rescue is a nonevent but when drivers life is in balance is when it has to work.

[Moon child]

I will not run a race unless we have a trained EMT on at least one of the rescue boats.

Where can I get one of those boards?

I should be able to come up with vendors without a problem.

[PRO-MOTIONRACING]

"I'm wondering if for a small club that does not have a Bona-Fide rescue boat, if this idea would work."

Rescue person jumps in, grabs the injured driver buy the life jacket, then grabs the tow rope and heads for shore.

Saved my sorry ... (Thanks Norm)

Thats why I always take my life jacket with me in the kicker and turn judge boats just in case.

50-R

P.S. one last true story, Many years ago in a far away river the water was moving a little faster than usual this year. I am on the rescue boat with a bunch of EMTs. As the Champ boats are pulling out of the pits, the rescue diver, puts on his tank. I look at the other 3 guys and say, "you guys swimmers" they looked at me and said, "no way"... I put on my life jacket.