Coast Guard statistics tell us that more than two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drown, and of those, 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket. That's just one reason I treat falls overboard as the top safety issue aboard my boat.
In such incidents, happy outcomes generally require successful execution in four key areas: Keeping the person afloat, bringing the boat alongside the victim safely, bringing the victim aboard safely, and providing warmth and first aid as needed.
Over the years here at Navagear, we've discussed all of these priorities. Some are relatively easy to address. For instance, on my boat everybody wears a PFD while the boat is underway, which goes a long way toward keeping a potential PIW (person in the water) afloat.
One of the more difficult tasks is to get the victim, exhausted and waterlogged, back into the boat without endangering the rest of the crew. In rough seas, this can be especially difficult. And while there are several solutions available for smaller and low-freeboard boats, where the crew can easily reach a PIW, there are fewer solutions appropriate for larger, high-sided power yachts.
GETTING ABOARD
On such boats, often the only place to bring a PIW aboard is on the swim platform at the transom. The trouble is that this is one of the most dangerous places to be in heavy seas. Swim platforms can hammer up and down as the boat rolls, possibly striking a person in the water. In addition, crewmembers must leave the safety of the boat and venture out onto the platform to assist the PIW, where they could be swept into the water as well.
The C Rescue MOB Recovery Cage is especially well-suited for use aboard high-sided vessels equipped with some sort of powered hoist or crane.There's got to be a safer way to bring a PIW aboard a high-freeboard boat; preferably one that allows the PIW to remain alongside the vessel until pulled out of the water, and allows the rest of the crew to remain safely aboard.
Thanks to Robert Reid, a retired commercial fisherman from Scotland, there is: The C Rescue MOB recovery cage is especially well-suited for use aboard high-sided vessels equipped with some sort of powered hoist or crane. It ought to be; it was designed for use aboard commercial fishing boats.
I recently met Alex Reid, Rob's nephew, at Seattle's famous Fisherman's Terminal, home port to our own nautical daredevils, the crews of the Deadliest Catch fleet. Alex was showing off a sample of his uncle's design, which is currently only manufactured in the United Kingdom.
The C Rescue is an impressive bit of "kit", as they say in the UK.
Essentially, it's a floating cage that can contain and protect the casualty, enabling the crew to lift him or her aboard by winch, crane, powerblock or even by hand (if you've got enough hands).
The C Rescue cage is a lightweight, robust aluminum-framed structure with open ends that floats on the water and supports a floor submerged about one foot below the surface, providing a "safe haven" into which the casualty can easily swim. There is no need for the victim to lift himself out of the water at all.
The cage folds compactly for storage and can be deployed in about 20 seconds with very little training.If the PIW is unable to move into the cage independently, another crewmember, properly equipped and tethered, can be lowered into the water in the cage, swim out and grab hold of the victim. A built-in "fairlead" in the C Rescue cage allows those on deck to pull the rescue swimmer and the victim back into the cage.
The cage folds compactly for storage and can be deployed in about 20 seconds with very little training. It is a simple, low-maintenance device, constructed of materials that should remain serviceable even if the unit sits in its storage box for years on end.
TANK TESTING
Some of the photos here were taken at the Lowestoft Nautical College Wave Tank, where the cage was tested extensively in the worst conditions that facility could generate. The cost is modest, compared to other industrial rescue equipment of this caliber. These units are priced starting at about $3,500 (at current exchange rates), depending on materials and configuration.
I was impressed with the C Rescue cage; it appeared to be thoughtfully designed and very well made. Being designed for use on metal-hulled commercial vessels, however, it lacks some features that many recreational boaters would appreciate. I suspect that recreational boaters could offer a whole new market for this product, especially if it were available in, shall we say, a slightly more "yachty" variation.
I was impressed with the C Rescue Cage; it appeared to be thoughtfully designed and very well made.Specifically, I think they ought to consider a storage case with a less "industrial" look. Rounded edges or wood trim would help, along with an attractive white finish. I also think most yachtsmen would like to see more bumpers on the cage itself: Cushioned ends, not just sides, and some kind of padding on all the exposed corners would be welcome. Nobody with a nicely finished hull will do any MOB recovery drills if the unit generates a $1,000 paint or gelcoat repair every time it's deployed.
Still, even in its current, commercial-fishboat form, this is a great piece of safety gear, particularly for the long-range, high-freeboard, crane-equipped trawlers that have become more popular over the past couple decades. I look forward to seeing the C Rescue cage become more readily available in North America, for both commercial fishermen and recreational mariners. When it does, Navagear will announce it.
