Over naar de realiteit.
In de Verenigde Staten zijn er in maart van dit jaar 5 van de 6 bemanningsleden tijdens een zeilwedstrijd gered door de coastguard. De zesde verdronk.
In de analyse van het ongeluk (United States Sailing Association Independent Review Panel Inquiry into the Fatal Accident
Involving Uncontrollable Urge During the 2013 Islands Race on
8 March 2013) wordt de over het gebruik van de zwemvesten het volgende geschreven.
Auto inflating Safety Harnesses:
All six crew members were wearing auto inflating safety harnesses with tethers (Appendix 12). Five of
the six were wearing a Spinlock Deck Vest and one was wearing a Stearns SOSpender. Before the boat
rolled all of the crew except Georgianna had manually inflated their harnesses. When the boat rolled
and Georgianna was underwater his harness auto inflated.
As Uncontrollable Urge rolled past 90 degrees:
Gilmore: His Spinlock Deck Vest life jacket/harness had been manually inflated and the tether
was not attached to the boat. He was swept overboard and swam ashore. The flotation
chamber on the harness pulled over Gilmore’s head to the left side.
Pajak: His Spinlock Deck Vest life jacket/harness had been manually inflated and the tether was
not attached to the boat. He was briefly caught underwater and was swept overboard. He
found the life raft floating free of the boat. The flotation chamber pulled over Pajak’s head to
the left side. He was able to pull the flotation chamber back into its proper position once he
was in the life raft.
Georgianna: His Spinlock Deck Vest life jacket/harness auto inflated when the boat rolled. His
tether was attached to the starboard jack line. While Georgianna was underwater he was
pulled to the end of his tether and felt his legs being tangled in some lines. Georgianna pulled
the quick release on his harness and was swept overboard. It is Georgianna’s belief that being
able to quickly release the tether in that situation saved his life.
Skillicorn: His Spinlock Deck Vest life jacket/harness had been manually inflated and the tether
was attached to the port jack line. He also held onto the lifelines to stay aboard. Skillicorn later
self released his tether and stayed with the boat until he and Valdes swam ashore using a large
flat fender. While trying to swim chest down towards the shore, the waves crashing from
behind forced the flotation collar over Skillicorn’s head on the left side of his body.
Valdes: His Stearns SOSpender life jacket/harness had been manually inflated and the tether
was not attached to the boat. He held onto the life lines and winches to stay aboard. He swam
ashore with Skillicorn on a large flat fender. Valdes’ flotation chamber stayed in its proper
place on his body.
Williams: His Spinlock Deck Vest harness had been manually inflated and the tether was
attached to the starboard jack line. When the boat rolled Williams was thrown overboard over
the starboard lifelines. The starboard side was the downwind side of the boat.
He was at the end of his tether and caught in the wreckage of the mast and rigging. Valdes was
unable to pull Williams back onboard the boat, and so cut his tether. At that time Williams was
still conscious and alert.
When Pajak found Williams’ body in the surf close to shore the flotation chamber was pulled
over his head on the left side of his body and he was floating face down.
(
media.ussailing.org/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=21870)