Seascoopa- the MOB retrieval system

by Sail-World Cruising on 23 Aug 2010 If one innovative Australian sailor has his way, soon rescue boats round the world will have a piece of equipment, nattily called the Seascoopa, which will make their job of rescuing overboard sailors much, much easier and safer. Here's why:

In a man overboard situation, rescue organisations can experience problems both with their duty of care to the victim and their Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) obligations to the rescuers.

First, if a vessel is nominated to be a rescue vessel it must be equipped to rapidly lift an exhausted, hypothermic or injured victim aboard in a horizontal posture. The horizontal posture is important to avoid the circulatory collapse that can occur if victims are lifted out vertically. This is called 'circumrescue collapse'. If a rescue vessel lacks adequate equipment and if the victim were to die or be injured as a consequence, the organisation might be held liable for failing in its duty of care.

Secondly, from the rescuers` point of view the concept of `safe lifting load` requires close consideration. In a worse -case scenario, a very obese victim in waterlogged clothing could weigh close to 200kg.

In the construction industry, a bag of cement weighing 20kg is widely regarded as a maximum safe lifting load. If this safe load is exceeded, back injuries with time off work and expensive compensation are possible consequences.
This is a special problem for Water Police who are tasked with the difficult duty of manually retrieving waterlogged dead bodies from the water without the benefit of any mechanical assistance.

Inflatable Boat Rescues:
Around the world the majority of small rescue craft are rigid inflatable boats. They are ideal for this task being fast, manoeuvrable and stable with a low free board. The remainder are Power Boats that are better suited for ocean conditions but usually have a higher free board. Rescue crew numbers can vary but the majority of boats have only two crew members.

When it comes to lifting the victim on board, a great deal of strength may be required – especially if the victim is heavy, uncooperative, hypothermic or unconscious with waterlogged clothing. In many volunteer rescue organisations the personnel are in the older age group who may have various physical disabilities impeding lifting ability. Many are females with reduced upper body strength.

In most circumstances there is a pressing need for mechanical assistance for lifting victims.

The Rescue Boat Sea Scoopa:

The device in its integral bag is attached to the same side of the boat as the steering station so the victim can be continuously sighted during the rescue.

The net is rectangular in shape with brightly coloured borders and reflective tape for enhanced visibility in turbulent water and low light conditions. The rigid outer batten has both a floatation pocket and handgrips for lifting. The crew holds this batten out from the inflatable with two fibreglass poles attached by flexible joints to its fore and aft ends to create the scoop. The scoop configuration is created by the forward edge of the net being weighted down by 8 mm chain while the trailing edge is held at the surface by a taut rope in the aft pocket. The scoop is held at right angles to the boat by a foreguy running from the bow of the boat to the forward end of the outer batten.

The victim is then scooped into the net whilst the boat is in motion, preferentially head first, at a speed of 1 knot to ensure steerage.

It is recommended that a rescue inflatable be fitted with an approved propeller guard to prevent propeller injury which could be fatal. Inflatable rescues are a high-risk situation as the propeller is in immediate proximity to the lifting area. Also unlike a powerboat, which has a rudder, the propeller has to be turning in order to steer an inflatable alongside the victim. For powerboats the engine must be put out of gear on final approach.

Once scooped and netted, the victim is manually parbuckled on board by two crew members, first using the handgrips on the outer floating batten and then the six sets incorporated in the body of the net. It is important that this is done in a sequential and coordinated fashion so that the load is evenly distributed.

This is surprisingly easy and the physics involved are very interesting. The parbuckle itself functions like a block and tackle and imparts a 2:1mechanical advantage. In addition, crew weight causes the inflatable to lean over to the lifting side and the soft buoyancy tube becomes compressed by the victim`s body so that an inclined plane is formed. Kinetic energy is generated during the rolling motion created by the parbuckle while the body is almost weightless in the water and this assists in continuing to roll the body up the inclined plane out of the water and into the cockpit.
With power boats the extra free board requires more effort in the final stages of lifting and also poses the additional problem of lowering the rescued victim from the gunwale to the cockpit floor. This is achieved by rolling the victim into an ultra-lightweight stretcher attached to the net.

The outer pole of the stretcher is supported during this process by clipping onto the D ring on the harness of the rescuers` life jacket.

The inner side of the stretcher is then detached and the victim lowered to the safety of the cockpit floor.
The victim can then be securely buckled into the stretcher and either moved to a place of safety on the boat, transferred to another vessel or lifted ashore.



Summary:
Thanks to the input from rescue organisations the full Sea Scoopa range now provides an optimal rescue solution for all boating groups – yachts, powerboats and rescue inflatables. All boaters can now facilitate the swift rescue of a MOB, where minutes usually mean the difference between life and death. For more information, go to the www.seascoopa.com!Seascoopa_Website

About the inventor:
The Sea Scoopa was invented by Dr Bob Wright, Director of Intensive Care at St Vincent`s Public and Private Hospitals Sydney. He is RYA Accredited Yachtmaster with a major interest in Marine Medical Emergencies and Marine Safety. He has logged over 45,000 miles cruising the east coast of Australia and has crossed Bass Strait 38 times.