Melbourne Solo Sailor Survives Falling in Water

[grantmc]

Melbourne sailor John Deer, travelling solo around the world has an astonishing tale of survival after falling overboard in the Caribbean sea.

Near the end of a 30-hour passage from Colombia to Panama, 17km from shore, he took a wrong step after catching a fish and fell off the back of his boat. With all sail flying and motor running, the boat left Deer stranded in the sea watching his boat slowly disappear, a sailor’s worst nightmare. It eventually hit rocks and was wrecked.

Left with no choice but to rescue himself, John had the composure and fortitude to slowly swim to shore.

Left with nothing but shorts and tee shirt perhaps consider supporting his Go Fund Me campaign.

Some articles:
7 News

My Sailing Org Oz

60 Minutes

[carlosproa]

So his boat hit the rocks but the pictures are of a sandy beach and of a sunken sailboat on a sandy bottom? Ok
$15,000 is enough to get him home

[StuM]

In contrast, Tasmanian sailor drowns close to shore in river:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-15/tas-man-drowns-metres-from-police-after-trying-to-secure-yacht/101241916

[leboyd]

Actually, one photo in the video shows the rocks are just off shore (see photo at 17:13).

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by StuM

In contrast, Tasmanian sailor drowns close to shore in river:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-15/tas-man-drowns-metres-from-police-after-trying-to-secure-yacht/101241916

Quote from the coroner
She said Mr Baker was wearing an inflatable life jacket which was in good working order but had risen to a position above his head, increasing the risk of drowning.
"The life jacket was not fitted with a crotch strap and was not required by regulation to have a crotch strap," Ms McTaggart said.


and then at the end of the coroners hearing


The coroner did not make any recommendations.


I would have thought that recommending the use of crotch straps might be beneficial.

[Apollo366]

I don't understand why crotch straps are not REQUIRED on all PFDs???

Unless the waist strap is tightened to be uncomfortable, they will always try to rise above the head.

BTW I noticed he was not using a safety harness in any of his pictures.

This is what happens when not tethered to the boat properly!

[caffel]

I just bought two West Marine offshore vests w big D rings for the leash, but just plastic ones for the leg straps (not included).
Have just read a true story of a recent saved MOB in which the victim actually released himself from leash and thus the boat because the crotch strap hurt so much under the stress he was underuck while still partly onboard.
I bought some leg straps.
C

[boat driver]

Originally Posted by nigel1

Quote from the coroner
She said Mr Baker was wearing an inflatable life jacket which was in good working order but had risen to a position above his head, increasing the risk of drowning.
"The life jacket was not fitted with a crotch strap and was not required by regulation to have a crotch strap," Ms McTaggart said.


and then at the end of the coroners hearing


The coroner did not make any recommendations.


I would have thought that recommending the use of crotch straps might be beneficial.

Crotch straps? they are so far down the ladder of problems- optional but often just as dangerous onboard as possible asset off.
Why not start with 1) "where are the tethers? " 2) inflatables do not belong offshore- as mechanical units with a proven 10% failure rate
additionally most are not certified offshore as the rating says "within reasonable expectation of recovery"
3) what is your education and training maintenance and discipline with an inflatable? drowning because it was not adjusted correctly? or because lack of training to address poor fit once in water?




first problem was not using a tether .

[Jim Cate]

first problem was not using a tether .

Exactly what does one attach a tether to in a dinghy, and how would such an attachment have prevented his drowning? And considering that this event was in a river only a few meters from shore, what has lack of "offshore certification" of the dinghy got to do with his death?

Jim

[boat driver]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Exactly what does one attach a tether to in a dinghy, and how would such an attachment have prevented his drowning?

Jim

That was my error- I was referring to the other overboard-

The mooring issue would suggest that his inflatable was 1) not fitted correctly 2) 30 minutes clinging to an upside down dingy is a long time. At 66, many unknowns are health, water temp, in water and safety equipment education
3) experienced sailor is a positive referral to speaking in a negative tone about the deceased.
4) Somewhere in this world of real life, one must consider that we are not infallible to our decisions, capability, and ultimately fragility of life.

But back to crotch straps, inflatables, offshore sailors, and cancel culture opinions, safety is not a one size all design and many voices repeat others on social media with little understanding or education of the subject.
But in the overturned/engine failure dingy, the little info I read simply suggests the dingy was designated unseaworthy for those conditions.
With observation most dinghies, lifeboats, rafts, and other ideas are unseaworthy at some point. The education underpins the choices.

[Hoodsail]

Good for Mr Deer for swimming the miles to shore....bad on him for not tethering...so cant reward his carelessness with go funding...what's he do for a living before setting off from Greece? time to get back to that for a bit...

[Paramotorgreg]

Tethers sound like a good idea, but unless the tether is short enough to prevent you falling in the water it’s useless. Trying to pull yourself back on board whilst being dragged through the water at 5 knots would be impossible.

If the tether is short enough to prevent you falling overboard then it’s also short enough to make moving around the boat really difficult, you generally have to unclip and clip on again - you need a double-ended tether.

[boatman61]

Or...
He could have fallen asleep on AP and hit the rocks but decided a 17km swim to shore sounded better..

[boat driver]

Originally Posted by Paramotorgreg

Tethers sound like a good idea, but unless the tether is short enough to prevent you falling in the water it’s useless. Trying to pull yourself back on board whilst being dragged through the water at 5 knots would be impossible.

If the tether is short enough to prevent you falling overboard then it’s also short enough to make moving around the boat really difficult, you generally have to unclip and clip on again - you need a double-ended tether.

not sure if you are noting tethers, or criticizing them.

[giliganthegreat]

I always thought I was taking crazy pills trailing a dingy with a trail line and buoy. Gives you 100’ to grab the line crawl up it and hit the ladder. Probably not feasible in places with big traffic but a longer tether would make the same sense.

Single handing is dangerous.