Near Death Outboard Prop Accident - Lessons Learned

[GTBRMC]

1st hand interview account of near-fatal dinghy small outboard accident, from Sailing Zatara YouTune channel.

A number of lessons to be learned including proper way to wear a kill switch lanyard.

WARNING: Some graphic photos and discussion

 

[fireflymedic]

Preaching to the choir bet the majority of us jet boat owners are scared to death of us or family being injured by a prop.

 

[Canuckjetboater]

Preaching to the choir bet the majority of us jet boat owners are scared to death of us or family being injured by a prop.

@fireflymedic .....A few years back a neighbour was in the water prepping to slalom ski. His son, a very experienced boater, just plain messed-up. He put the boat in reverse and started to give it some throttle. Dad reacted immediately and jammed his ski into the prop stalling the boat. One lost $500.00 slalom ski one saved trip to emergency. It just takes a second of inattention.

 

[zipper]

We clip our lanyard to our PFD's. Never have we slipped it around our wrist. The bow of these RIB's can get pretty light with one operator and an OB at the stern.

 

[anmut]

My uncle recently lost his foot below his knee. Got bumped out of his boat (tiller fishing boat) without the kill switch connected. Boat ran in circles, he tried to get back on and was sucked into the motor. By the grace of God he survived not bleeding out.

 

[Beachbummer]

Ouch!

I have had 3 near misses where I had been using the lanyard, and lost power unexpectedly because of the switch tripping. My own experience is that in my boat, for me, it presented greater danger to have it on than to not. I admit because of this personal experience I am hesitant to wear it on my SX230.
Does it ever trip unexpectedly for you? Do we have anecdotes of the kill switch saving someone's bacon in a jet boat? (18ft+) I have also had the displeasure/opportunity to witness run away outboards on dinghies in person, so I have seen with my own eyes how important they are there.

 

[Tyguy]

We do wear the kill switch lanyard, but we added a bright yellow foam wrist strap and wear it on our right hand. Coming from personal watercraft most recently, we were accustomed to wearing a lanyard and the goal was to use for its intended purpose at least once in the day. When we bought the boat last year we just carried over the practice of wearing the wrist strap, so it's second nature. We haven't yet run into a situation where it saved us, nor where it proved detrimental.

 

[fireflymedic]

Ouch!

I have had 3 near misses where I had been using the lanyard, and lost power unexpectedly because of the switch tripping. My own experience is that in my boat, for me, it presented greater danger to have it on than to not. I admit because of this personal experience I am hesitant to wear it on my SX230.
Does it ever trip unexpectedly for you? Do we have anecdotes of the kill switch saving someone's bacon in a jet boat? (18ft+) I have also had the displeasure/opportunity to witness run away outboards on dinghies in person, so I have seen with my own eyes how important they are there.

I'm the same way was docking and lost power than currents started moving boat and I didn't know why it wouldn't crank. Didn't help the low fuel alarm started going off. Quite using it after that.

 

[zipper]

Honestly, clipped in once. Forgot and reached over to port side dash and boat died as it released from the kill switch. Have not clipped in since on our 230. However, rough conditions or long voyages, say to Bimini, I would definetly clip in.

In the Zodiac, we clip in every time. The 15hp OB can make chum quickly. Who ever is the passenger rides forward to keep the bow down.

 

[PeterB]

We use the wireless MOB+ no worries of accidentally pulling it - and if the operator goes overboard the boat can be re-started 6 seconds later without needing the kill switch or struggling to push the tab back under the switch.
I mainly installed it for when I am out alone

 

[Bluewater272]

I really only wear mine when running at night, alone, or in rough water. I should look into the Wireless MOB, it really is prudent to wear one all the time, but I move around a lot on the boat even when its running (think, arrive to anchorage, put it in neutral while getting the anchor ready to deploy, transfer to wife at controls, etc). Handing off the lanyard greatly increases the chances of an accidental shutdown, which can be dangerous in its own right.

 

[rkluck]

He made great progress in six weeks. I didn't wear mine in the boat since it is so large and I was always turning between towing and docking. I rarely was alone as well. Back in the day even renting john boats for fishing there was never a kill switch even though you had much better odds of falling out of those boats than ours. Jet Skies or any small boat I think it is best to wear it.

 

[jEt_jAk]

Always wear a lanyard.