Lifesling in action
March 10, 2025 11:04 PM Subscribe
Following up last month's post on the development of the Lifesling, two sailors participating in the Possession Point Race were rescued from Puget Sound (Seattle Times, archive) after falling off one of the contending boats, while videoed from a ferry.
Facebook post from person who recorded the video.
Facebook post from person who recorded the video.
FTFA:
In this case, it did all those onlookers some good to actually see a Lifesling in use...but it would be even better if they had real experience. Maybe yacht clubs should sponsor days when they hang one off the dock and let people take turns hauling each other out of the water -- so they'll know how to use both ends of the thing.
When I learned to sail One Million Years Ago, we spent a whole day deliberately capsizing little boats. It was far less frightening than when I'd been on a bigger sailboat the summer before that flopped over, even with a bunch of my uncles and dad there (when I just hung from the high side by my fingers, not wanting to let go). After tipping over a few times while our instructors watched, it was just a PITA and not terrorizing.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:20 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
“All that equipment is special and needed,” Hutt says. But if you don’t test it or know how to use it, he added, it’s not much use. The experience has inspired him to become more familiar with the Lifesling on his own boat.There's an expression I've read -- from the Army, I think -- that "we fight like we train." It means that the better and more realistic that your training is, the better you'll perform in real operations.
In this case, it did all those onlookers some good to actually see a Lifesling in use...but it would be even better if they had real experience. Maybe yacht clubs should sponsor days when they hang one off the dock and let people take turns hauling each other out of the water -- so they'll know how to use both ends of the thing.
When I learned to sail One Million Years Ago, we spent a whole day deliberately capsizing little boats. It was far less frightening than when I'd been on a bigger sailboat the summer before that flopped over, even with a bunch of my uncles and dad there (when I just hung from the high side by my fingers, not wanting to let go). After tipping over a few times while our instructors watched, it was just a PITA and not terrorizing.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:20 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
There was a fatal crew overboard accident during the 2018 Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac. It's the regions most prestigious sailing race and it's always been a very serious event. Jon Santarelli was an experienced sailor and fell overboard from the race boat Imedi in rough water. Santarelli’s auto-inflate life jacket did not activate, and after a couple of close passes he slipped away, likely injured.
There is a massive accident report the host club put together that covers the full event in detail. It is noted that deploying a Lifesling might have changed the outcome.
posted by zenon at 8:19 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
There is a massive accident report the host club put together that covers the full event in detail. It is noted that deploying a Lifesling might have changed the outcome.
posted by zenon at 8:19 AM on March 11 [2 favorites]
For those not familiar with Pacific waters near the US Coast, the surface water temp was 47F, about 8C during this rescue. I grew up in Southern California where the water is maybe 10F degrees warmer than the Puget Sound. Even at the height of Summer it is cold. Our parents would pull us out of the surf when our lips turned blue. Did some sailing from LA to Ventura, but we didn't have the Lifesling back then. Fortunately no accidents.
posted by drossdragon at 9:48 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
posted by drossdragon at 9:48 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
Cold and high winds! 45 minutes doesn't sound like a long time but at that temperature they are lucky to be alive.
posted by Nelson at 9:49 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
posted by Nelson at 9:49 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
...the surface water temp was 47F, about 8C during this rescue
Jesus, that's like Lake Superior temps.
We were hiking Isle Royale on a sizzling hot day in July, years ago, and stopped at a dock to soak our hot feat. We shrieked at the cold, and when a Coast Guard boat tied up nearby a minute later, they dropped a thermometer on a string that read 53F! We couldn't keep our feet in for very long: the Coasties in the boat were wearing full orange survival suits.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:21 PM on March 11
Jesus, that's like Lake Superior temps.
We were hiking Isle Royale on a sizzling hot day in July, years ago, and stopped at a dock to soak our hot feat. We shrieked at the cold, and when a Coast Guard boat tied up nearby a minute later, they dropped a thermometer on a string that read 53F! We couldn't keep our feet in for very long: the Coasties in the boat were wearing full orange survival suits.
posted by wenestvedt at 1:21 PM on March 11
Huh. I think I used to be the scorekeeper for that race. (The year after college I briefly had a job doing the scores for the Corinthian Yacht Club, which ran that race. It wasn't very interesting, other than the time a volunteer blew one of the starting flags apart with the starting gun, and was immediately reduced to tears by the wrath of Werner, the former Hitler Youth skipper of the committee boat, who had a reputation as kind of a complete asshole. The volunteer never came back.)
Anyway, watching that rescue reminded me of going out in weather like that to set up races and score them. I don't think anyone went overboard when I worked there, but there were some minor collisions. Great to see!
posted by surlyben at 10:29 PM on March 11
Anyway, watching that rescue reminded me of going out in weather like that to set up races and score them. I don't think anyone went overboard when I worked there, but there were some minor collisions. Great to see!
posted by surlyben at 10:29 PM on March 11
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posted by kaymac at 6:20 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]