By spending more time on and around water than land, we have a healthy respect for the situations which can be thrust upon you without a moment’s notice. We train for them, prepare our boats for them and hope we are ready, if the situation ever presents itself. After a summer which tested us like never before, it got me wondering how prepared is the average boater when they leave land? Do they have all the resources one may need in the event of a medical emergency?
As a charter operator, the Coast Guard has minimum standards for emergency situations we must be prepared for, “minimum” being the key word. On top of this, having been a boater for three plus decades and raised by officers and first responders, I came into this business expecting the unexpected and being overly ready. We took the upgraded first aid kit, adding to it everything under the sun. In contrast, the minimum requirements for recreational boaters, as listed by the Coast Guard, are silent on first aid or medical requirements. Surprising, more like unacceptable. When you leave the dock with your crew, how prepared are you really for a day on the water?
The majority of medical incidents are unexpected, and the first few minutes are critical to potentially saving a life–even your own. Wouldn’t you feel better if everyone on your boat had some sort of CPR and first aid training? Classes are easy to take and offered in many places. Speaking from experience, if you were in need, you would be more than grateful if you had a crew member with some training. Add to that a first aid kit that is well rounded with just in case supplies, not just the most basic on the market. Be sure to have a tourniquet in there, as one of ours possibly saved a girl involved in a jet ski accident. This past July, our crew was dockside filleting fish after a trip when a rider on a ski came flying in to the marina screaming for help. The passenger had a gaping wound, liking from an artery in her arm being hit in a collision. Our staff were able to assist until an ambulance was on scene. You truly never know when a bit of preparation can change someone else’s life. Time and money well spent.