Rescue buoy or rescue bag recommendations

[Thor]

What do you use to recover a person in the water AND where do you store it? Close call this weekend, we were beached up well inside a pass. A family was nearby and the dad jumped in and tried to swim across the pass. Well, the tide was going out the pass and the current was ripping! The wind was blowing into the pass creating chop that was stacking up, and it was very rough in the pass past the points. Within a few minutes he was swept out through the pass. I was watching this and threw the anchor in the boat, full throttle off the beach and through the no wake zone into the pass, then my 13 yo daughter threw a perfect pass with a life vest and we came around. The man was tired and in trouble, he was beat and it took him a while to get enough energy to climb the ladder. He said he tried to swim in but tired out quickly. He was.....to be polite, a very round man, not in good shape at all, and he reeked of EtOH! A recipe for disaster. This all happened so fast, and was so unexpected. I have a throwable orange square cushion but at the time I couldn't remember where it was. We didn't have time or think to tie a line to the life vest.

Now I want to get something I can grab in an emergency and put it in a place where it is freely accessible, unlike my throwable boat cushion which I later found buried at the bottom of the hold.

 

[Beachbummer]

I keep the mandatory throwable cushion ($8) next to me, below the throttle levers. I also keep a 20ft dock line near by...but I admit I never had to use it. I've always thought of the throwable PFD requirement a a government intrusion, as I think any PFD tossed to someone in trouble is just as much help...but I can be fined if I don't have one on board, so there it is.

He's very lucky you had the presence of mind and necessary equipment standing by to save him!!!

 

[BigAbe75]

Something we should all think about. A nice officer reminded me during a safety check on 4th of July weekend that all our life jackets needed to be readily accessible. I showed my throwable and everything, but I too have it stored under a seat cushion. In an emergency, it would take several seconds to retrieve.

Maybe bungeed to the back of the captains chair or something.

 

[mdchachi]

The throwable should have a line tied to it. To help you reel it in if you have to rethrow or to pull the victim in.

 

[bronze_10]

I have told my family many time to walk through such scenes in their heads and what would they do. I told them if all else fail and u just can't remember where the jackets are or the throwable to just throw a seat cushion .. Anything to get them some help... I too have a throwable that we keep in the exact same place each time... And for the life of me I can't remember which compartment that is.. .

In my defence I am the helmsman.. . My wife is the capt and maintained order and inventory! Lol

 

[2kwik4u]

We do something very similar to @Beachbummer

I have a bright blue throwable square stuck between the captains seat and cockpit wall, right below the throttle levers. It has a 20ft dockline attached to one of the handles. The throwable is mandated by law, the rope seemed like a good idea.

The port rear storage is where the life vests are on our boat. That is the ONLY thing (not bolted down) in that storage area. So if you need a vest, yank the seat, toss it aside, and start handing them out. We keep at least 10 on board at all times, sometimes as many as 12. Capacity is 8, but it's much easier to grab someone a second vest than it is to ask them to find the first one they lost. The orange ones are cheap and light so the penalty for excess is low. The boat has so much storage we never fill it up, and are able to dedicate one location to safety equipment only.

We also carry 3 fire extinguishers on board. One in the starboard front storage, one in the port center storage and one in the starboard rear storage. Again, they're cheap and light. Easier to have too many than not enough.

I've always remind my passengers of the "oxygen mask theory" as well.....save yourself first, and others second. You will do no good to anyone if you can't help yourself first. The rope is an extension of that. If I miss a throw, or the victim is out of reach of the side of the boat, I'm not going in after him/her. I'll retry my throw, or I'll drag them to the edge of the boat and wait for help. Same for the vests, get yours on first, then help others.

 

[Thor]

We do something very similar to @Beachbummer

I have a bright blue throwable square stuck between the captains seat and cockpit wall, right below the throttle levers. It has a 20ft dockline attached to one of the handles. The throwable is mandated by law, the rope seemed like a good idea.

The port rear storage is where the life vests are on our boat. That is the ONLY thing (not bolted down) in that storage area. So if you need a vest, yank the seat, toss it aside, and start handing them out. We keep at least 10 on board at all times, sometimes as many as 12. Capacity is 8, but it's much easier to grab someone a second vest than it is to ask them to find the first one they lost. The orange ones are cheap and light so the penalty for excess is low. The boat has so much storage we never fill it up, and are able to dedicate one location to safety equipment only.

We also carry 3 fire extinguishers on board. One in the starboard front storage, one in the port center storage and one in the starboard rear storage. Again, they're cheap and light. Easier to have too many than not enough.

I've always remind my passengers of the "oxygen mask theory" as well.....save yourself first, and others second. You will do no good to anyone if you can't help yourself first. The rope is an extension of that. If I miss a throw, or the victim is out of reach of the side of the boat, I'm not going in after him/her. I'll retry my throw, or I'll drag them to the edge of the boat and wait for help. Same for the vests, get yours on first, then help others.

I like your approach and I think this sounds like the best set up, a throwable square with a line, stored by the captains seat. My fire extinguisher is also buried somewhere, I’m going to but 2 more this weekend and have them close by. Thanks!

 

[dnicholas47]

I also keep the throwable cushion by the throttles. It is also convenient there because if someone is sitting right in front of me I can grab it to sit on to get me just high enough to see without having to sit on the bolster.

 

[Scottintexas]

Good job being aware, that's how fast it can happen,

I keep my throwable in between the drivers seat and the rear seat, no rope but we are on a calm lake that I think I could maneuver the boat well enough if needed,
another idea if you have rough water and can't get close is to throw a ski/tow line and circle around the victim and close the loop to get control of them,

it also doesn't hurt to have a couple practice throws under your belt, we learned a scout camp throwing the rescue bag it's not always as easy as you anticipate,

 

[Weeb]

On my ar240 I put it behind the trash barrel on the passenger side with one handle sticking up so I can grab it quick.

 

[boudin]

I keep the mandatory throwable cushion ($8) next to me, below the throttle levers. I also keep a 20ft dock line near by...but I admit I never had to use it.

Same here... I keep it between the cockpit seat the throttle levers.

@Thor you being observant and acting quickly probably saved the guys life. I commend you and your daughter.

-Greg

 

[Julian]

All our safety gear is in the storage behind the helm: Life Jackets, fire extinguisher, throwable, ditch bag. As @veedubtek knows....it makes it easy when new people come on board my safety briefing is....its all in HERE--pointing to the door to the storage.

 

[veedubtek]

Very thorough and informative safety brief. 5/5 would listen to again.

 

[zipper]

To meet USCG regs. on the 23' Yamaha, we use a throwable seat cushion. Keep it at my feet at the helm while underway, under my butt when sitting on the swim platform, no line attached.
The 35' Beneteau came with (4) throwable seat cushions, a Lifesling w/ 125' of line and a throwable life ring. The lifesling and ring have positions on the stern, very visible. The cushions we use to sit on in the cockpit and can be thrown quickly. Big difference in price...cushions $15, life ring $50 and Lifesling $180. But saving a life is priceless. Keep it accessible when you are on the water, you never know who's life will need saving.

 

[Julian]

I also have a throwable safety line behind my seat, but after thinking about this discussion I'm wondering if putting the throwable cushion next to the helm vs in my "one stop" safety locker might be slightly better...... great discussion! Maybe I'll get a 2nd one....

 

[tdonoughue]

I keep the throwable hanging from the throttles, like several others. But gonna add that line to it... and probably pre-attach the line to the boat somewhere (in an emergency, I or someone would probably forget to hold that other end). And probably do some training with the family. Good thread, folks.

 

[zipper]

I keep the throwable hanging from the throttles, like several others. But gonna add that line to it... and probably pre-attach the line to the boat somewhere (in an emergency, I or someone would probably forget to hold that other end). And probably do some training with the family. Good thread, folks.

Training the family is a great idea. You will be able to determine a throw distance, so your line will not be too short. Judging distance can be difficult in certain conditions. Would hate to throw out all 25' of line when 50' would have reached the target. And a short line could inhibit your ability to throw further when tied off to the boat.

 

[Beachbummer]

Having experience picking up skiers, my concern is compliance of the "victim" more than anything. If they stay put, I can have the missed throwable PFD go over them on a go around if it's being "towed" but will the stay still or try to swim towards/under the boat? I was recently taught to submerge a drowning victim if the are causing you to go under too! then grab them from behind...This was shared by a former lifeguard. It's a brief lesson that is followed by a lot of training I did not take, so don't consider it my advise....but it shows you the strange things that sometimes are needed to save someone that in panic may be a great hindrance to the lifesaving effort.

 

[Julian]

I'm not sure about the importance of having a rope on the throwable.....I know I could throw an untethered cushion a lot further and more accurately than one with a rope attached. I would THINK that getting the person floating is #1 priority and retreiving them is #2. That said, if your have a rope attached and can over throw the subject, that would be the best scenario as you can then pull the cushion towards the subject. Sort of reinforces my thought that having 2 throwables would be better than one (one with rope attached, one without). That said, we technically have a ton of things we COULD throw to a victim - cushions, life jackets, fenders....

 

[Jgorm]

I don't see the need other than to comply with the law. It's different in a high gunwhale boat where you can't really reach out and grab someone. Drive the boat to the person that needs help, and pull them onto the awesome swim step these boats have. If you have a silly boat like this, then you should have one tied to a rope.