WEARING A LIFEJACKET COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
13 people, who drowned in 2017, might be alive today had they been
wearing a lifejacket or buoyancy aid.
These are the findings of this year’s Casualty Review Panel[1]. The panel meets annually
to discuss the previous year’s appropriate maritime fatalities and whether
those who died might have survived had they been wearing a lifejacket. Wearing
a lifejacket or buoyancy aid appropriate to your activity greatly improves your
chances of surviving the shock of entering cold water. The panel also advise on
other measures which might increase survivability. This year they looked at 27
fatalities and of these 13[2] might have been saved had
they been wearing a lifejacket.
People who have been drinking alcohol are more likely to be involved in
a fatal accident. In 2017 14 of the 27 fatalities had been drinking – accessing
boats in harbour was a particular issue. Over recent years many harbours have
introduced lifejacket lockers so people using tenders can store lifejackets
securely while they are ashore, and the panel strongly recommended that boat
users consider using them.
Carrying a means of raising the alarm and knowing how and when to use it
is vital in an emergency, making a real difference in survivability rates. In
2017, two people’s lives might have been saved had they been carrying a means
of communication, to tell the Coastguard where to search. In particular the
panel recommended
- Carrying a vhf DSC radio and knowing how to use it to contact the Coastguard or other vessels
- Carrying a PLB or EPIRB[3] will help rescuers to locate you and even if you’re unconscious the alarm will be raised.
- Downloading the RYA SafeTrx app[4] on your phone and using it in an emergency could make all the difference.
[1] The Casualty Review Panel comprises
representatives from: Angling Trust, RNLI, Royal Yachting Association, Marine
Accident Investigation Branch, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, National Water
Safety Forum, British Canoe Union, the lifejacket industry, Scottish
Fishermen’s Federation and University of Portsmouth. The panel uses data
supplied from Coastguard and MAIB databases and therefore covers mostly coastal
incidents. Other inland fatal angling incidents, where a lifejacket might have
saved a life may have occurred during 2017 but these are not included for this
exercise.
[2] This figures refers to those people who
probably or possibly could have been saved had they been wearing a lifejacket
or buoyancy aid. Where it would have been appropriate for a person to be
wearing buoyancy, this was recorded.
[3] Personal Location Beacon or Emergency
Position Indicating Radio Beacon
[4] You can get more information about RYA
SafeTrx and where to download it here: RYA SafeTrx app