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How Often Do People Fall In?


rivershine

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4 minutes ago, frahkn said:

Ours is ducted so is deep even though we don't have much freeboard. On the whole I prefer it on safety grounds but I wouldn't mind borrowing your orang-utan now and then (or perhaps a gibbon would be cheaper to feed).

No problem. His name is Clyde. If you prefer a gibbon, try Bill Oddie:)

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From the OP I could not be classed as a boater then I commercially boated from Feb 1958/Oct 1972 & only ever got my left leg wet up to my Knee that included 11 winters working through ice & snow that each one produced + the 3 seasons hotel boating one of my hotel girl crew fell in 3 imes on her1st week aboard

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I fell in in spring wearing my silky white pajamas that went totally see through just above my boobs on a very busy Saturday morning, I slipped on the gunwale lucky  I didn't smack my chin and knock myself out, needless to say I caused much amusement, I may as well been naked!!!

Edited by Jenwil
typo put bust rather than busy :0
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I've been in twice. Once into the Slough Arm in January attempting to carry a 13Kg gas bottle along the gunnel. (The lesson here is obvious.) and once walking down the gunnel whilst moored in the marina. The Slough Arm incident didn't seem to cause me any problems from cold water immersion, but it was the devil's own job to climb back onto the boat via the rudder. The second time I only got wet up to my knees, but rattling down the gap between two moored boats gave me some spectacular bruises.

Moominmama fell  in off the gunnel as we were leaving the lock landing at Stanstead Abbots on the Lea: full immersion and out of her depth. She swam back to the lock landing OK, but needed assistance and an improvised rope step to get out.

Maybe the message from this is that non-swimmers should not walk the gunnels.

 

MP.

 

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I’ve lived on boats since the late 50s until 18 months ago and worked them commercially for most of that time. So its been 24 hrs/day 365 days/year summer/winter day/night for some 60 years. Di slipped on a lock side and went in once a couple of years after we started - I dragged her out and stood her on the back to look after the boat while I worked the lock (well we had to keep on a-going you know). One of our sons also fell in when he was 4 or 5. The boat was moored and he tripped over one of the lines. He was furiously doggy-paddling towards the middle of the cut as he’d been warned of the danger of a propellor. Survival instinct cut in immediately, and his brain didn’t bother to tell him it was OK as the engine wasn’t running.


My own only time was about 8 years ago and a bit like Meanderingviking in post 12. I stepped off the moored boat and promptly slipped on the wet concrete coping, fell back between the boat and bank in deep water and I found myself under the boat and disorientated.


We’ve neither of us ever worn life jackets other than in locks on continental rivers where the lock keeper won’t work you through if deck crew don’t have them on. I’ve always felt lifejackets inhibit my movement, but the OP simply has to make his own choice based upon the degree of risk he finds acceptable in his life. People do drown - just not those of us who are commenting here.

 

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2 hours ago, mross said:

Does the Baltic Marstrand keep your nose/mouth out of the water if you are unconscious?  Personally, I'd rather wear a certified lifejacket.  

The answer is here, and it's 'no'.  http://www.baltic.se/en/select-a-lifejacket/ but, LadyG, I respect your choice.

I know, I have automatic lifejackets for working locks, on rivers,  or in hot weather, but the flotation jacket will cover me for everyday. I think slipping off the boat, getting on or off is more likely to catch you out, those times when you are not necessarily navigating.

Edited by LadyG
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Thank you for the comments. Not being a swimmer, I don't think I could afford to be lax about wearing a life jacket. After all, I only need to fall in once out of my depth. I see that slipping on lock sides has come up a couple of times. That seems eminently doable, and is probably my major concern. At the end of the day I can choose not to walk gunnels, inconvenient though it may be. I can't choose not to work locks.

Also, I don't think it's terribly likely. But I do think it's just that "one day" thing...seven or nine years later, you are distracted for a second, you don't notice that slippy patch...you stumble...

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This reminds me of my mother's visit to New Zealand House in London.  You could go out on the flat roof where there was a viewing point with a fence or balustrade.  She asked the concierge, "do people jump off here often?' 'No, Madam', he replied, 'only once'.

Edited by mross
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  • 1 month later...

I have had a boat share in the past, and my own boat for over 5 yrs now,, while painting last summer i slipped off of the gunnel, i cant remember slipping but only the getting wet bit. We are on a river so the water was to chest hight and bloody freezing, after a day or two i was bruised the whole lenth from my hip to my chest, I suppose i was lucky i did not bang my head, so it could have been worse.

Like a bike though i got back on and finished the paint job.

                                                                                                           Mike.

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Almost 40 years now since getting my first boat and Ive yet to fall in. I'm painfully conscious the day must be getting very close now so I'm ever more careful and cautious. 

This thing that scares me is the thought of injuring myself during the fall. The chances of a serious bump on one's head on the way down are high, and this will be very disorienting id not fatal once fully immersed.

As others previously have said, it seems to me really REALLY important not to fall in in the first place. Just bloody DON'T DO IT. That way you don't have to worry about how to get out.

Even so I still keep a weather eye open for places to get out whilst cruising. 

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I have fallen in once, the wife twice, I have helped to fish out 4 adults and 1 child. With adults if you can calm them down they can normally stand up. with the kid I lifted him straight into the air. This is in 20 years not living aboard. Both mine and the wife was while we were against the bank, not cruising along. in fact they were all against the bank except the kid and he was trying to balance on a sheet of Celotex.

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1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Almost 40 years now since getting my first boat and Ive yet to fall in. I'm painfully conscious the day must be getting very close now so I'm ever more careful and cautious. 

This thing that scares me is the thought of injuring myself during the fall. The chances of a serious bump on one's head on the way down are high, and this will be very disorienting id not fatal once fully immersed.

As others previously have said, it seems to me really REALLY important not to fall in in the first place. Just bloody DON'T DO IT. That way you don't have to worry about how to get out.

Even so I still keep a weather eye open for places to get out whilst cruising. 

Genuinely curious as to why you think this is the case. I can understand the argument of taking a blow to the head knocking you into the water (failing to duck under a low bridge/tunnel/ overhanging branch, etc) but none of the people I've ever helped out of the water had suffered any head trauma from just falling in. Generally when falling we tend to be quite protective of our heads, of course not falling is by far the best option.

Oddly I hardly ever keep an eye open for places to get out whilst cruising, I tend to be more struck by seeing an area and thinking 'It'd be damn difficult to get out of the water here if you fell in'.

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I,ve been a biannual livaboard 5 years now  and never fallen in. Bought a self inflating lifevest for the missus who,s not a good swimmer, she,s not fallen in yet either, touch wood. I,m a naturally scared person, i imagine accidents, but it doesnt stop me riding a motorcycle at 64 years old and i,ve never fallen off that. I dont walk gunnels unless i,m in the marina, and only occasionally to do important jobs. Same with cabin tops, too slippy too dangerous for oldy folks n non swimmers. My advice : learn to swim, dont play on gunnels, dont play on cabin tops, dont jump or lean out anywhere, be scared in locks. Being cocky, overconfident or complacent is when you put yourself at risk. Take care. Enjoy.

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4 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Almost 40 years now since getting my first boat and Ive yet to fall in. I'm painfully conscious the day must be getting very close now so I'm ever more careful and cautious. 

This thing that scares me is the thought of injuring myself during the fall. The chances of a serious bump on one's head on the way down are high, and this will be very disorienting id not fatal once fully immersed.

As others previously have said, it seems to me really REALLY important not to fall in in the first place. Just bloody DON'T DO IT. That way you don't have to worry about how to get out.

Even so I still keep a weather eye open for places to get out whilst cruising. 

I,m very much like you. Statistically everyone has accidents and the longer one goes the more the odds are piling up, being aware of this increases my vigilance as i get older and hopefully wiser. I still ride a motorscooter, drive a car, and canal boating. I dont take risks. So far so good. I want to keep it that way.

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Having been in twice now I am very cautious, as a strong swimmer I am confident of not drowning provided as Mike says , a blow on the head is not received on the way in.

The one thing that really concerns me though, is taking the plunge in winter when the water is extremely cold.

Hanging on to the side of a boat figuring a way out of the water in the summer is an inconvenience, but in the winter it really could be a life or death situation.

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About five years ago I was doing a Masters Degree dissertation on health impact of being a liveaboard which included a questionnaire. (Some members may remember).  Anyway, one of the questions asked how many times you'd fallen in.  The spread of responses was pretty wide, from never (obviously) to "about 5 times so far this year".

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5 hours ago, Irob said:

Statistically everyone has accidents and the longer one goes the more the odds are piling up

 

This is a tricky one actually. Past events do not affect the likelihood of future events occurring, so we are no more likely to fall in in our remaining years than our early years, less in fact as we get more skilled. On the other hand, over say 50 years of boating one IS more likely to fall in than over say 10 years of boating, and if one has done 40 already without falling in, surely that make it makes one MORE likely to fall in in the last decade!

Dr Bob, HELP!!!!

 

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5 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

This is a tricky one actually. Past events do not affect the likelihood of future events occurring, so we are no more likely to fall in in our remaining years than our early years, less in fact as we get more skilled. On the other hand, over say 50 years of boating one IS more likely to fall in than over say 10 years of boating, and if one has done 40 already without falling in, surely that make it makes one MORE likely to fall in in the last decade!

Dr Bob, HELP!!!!

 

The answer is simple. As you get older, you are more likely to need a hand when you fall in the water. Therefore buy a duck. I know I did. Trust me I'm a doctor.

..........Tune in tomorrow when you will hear Dr Bob say "Has Rusty ever fallen in?"

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