34' Sailboat Capsizes in SF Bay 100 Yards From Marina

[MarkSF]

Definitely a Silverton 34 Convertible, circa 1988. Have a look on the interweb.

[Boatswain2PA]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

The official rescue services (CG,SFPD, etc) were doing their jobs, and did them well. But the citizen who did CPR on one child after pulling him from the water is the one who saved the life of that child, not the professional who later took over the CPR. Had the CPR been delayed that long a sadder outcome is likely.

I reckon they all did damn well in a chaotic situation... kudos to everyone who took an active part, and to those who kept the hell out of the way.

Jim

Absolutely!

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Boatswain2PA:

I wanted to underline the fact that the child who was unconscious, that boy's life was saved by CPR administered at first by "a citizen", then by an SF policeman. It was the people who were closest when the incident occurred who were positioned to offer assistance. The waters of SF bay run around 58 degrees F., pretty cold, for swimming, so it was also an act requiring individual bravery, and I think that deserves acknowledging. I don't "hate" policemen, and I'd appreciate a public retraction.

Sheesh!

Everyone involved saved the boy's life, from the lay responder to the PD to the ED & ICU team. Of course, it's not the lay responder's "job" to do that, so they do deserve special kudo's.

That being said any mass casualty incident can quickly overtax a response system capabilities and communications. All it takes is one yachtie picking up someone from the water and then taking them to their own homeport in Marin/Sausalito/Berkley/etc, thereby leaving an unaccounted for person, that would lead to an unnecessary and lengthy search. Then there's the need for ambulances for 30 people to arrive at the right docks, triage, and then sending to appropriate hospitals. That IS a lot off interagency coordination. I'm very glad it all turned out well (I don't care about the boat).

I don't understand your meaning though about the CG "patting themselves on the back". I haven't seen that anywhere.

[MarkSF]

Ann,

Allow me to quote you :

"The Coast Guard says the rescue is all down to interagency cooperation"

This gives the impression that official statements have credited the entire rescue to agencies, and not credited members of the public for their assistance.

Every public statement I've seen credits both the members of the public, and the agencies involved. The above line I've quoted implies a controversy where there is none.

In that video I count 5 rescue boats from various agencies that have all arrived within 2 minutes of the accident. I would say that is a reasonable response time, of which the agencies involved can be proud.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Steady Hand

Here is the "sailboat" before the Capsize. Photo is a screen capture from TV news report.

I can only make out about 20 POB in that photo. That means there's about another 10 on board somewhere.

[J Clark H356]

In no way am I trying to justify the number of people on board, but if you do a search for Boat Capacity you will find that above 28 feet it can be calculated as boat length x beam/ 15.

For a Silverton 34 it is 34 feet x 12.5 feet of beam/ 15 = 28.33. There are caveats to this rule, 150 lbs average per person, adjust for larger or smaller people. I don't think any reasonable person on this forum would think this was at all reasonable, but 30 people with some kids using that formula! Sounds to me the for formula is all wrong, but someone with no common sense could certainly justify the number on this boat.

Just saying.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[first wind]

Originally Posted by Mikado

Has anyone read about this story? Last weekend a 34' sailboat capsizes with 30 people aboard just 100 yards from the dock. One of the children required CPR and thankfully looks like he will recover.

I have read several internet news articles but not a single one gives any details about the boat type or manufacturer. They just reference her name "Khaleesi".

Assuming the boat hadn't taken on a large amount of water, what in the world could cause a 34' sailboat to flip over in relatively calm waters? None of the articles, many of which have quotes from Coast Guard personnel mention carrying too many passengers so it really makes me wonder?

I have heard mono's that lose their keel can do this. I don't know anything about multi's but understand that if they flip they don't come back up?

Here's one of the articles.

https://sfbay.ca/2016/10/10/crews-se...-after-rescue/

well....maybe it might have something to do with 30 people being on a 34 foot boat? just guessing but, i'm sure that's well beyond capacity. just think what would happen if they all went to the starboard side to look at dolphins swimming by. just think of the added weight. if you figure the average person to be only 150 lbs (a very conservative figure) that's 4500 lbs of moving ballast all above the waterline. now add in the weight of all the supplies and everything else onboard that is above the waterline...




well, having watched the video and seeing it wasn't even a sailboat that has ballast to counter heeling force above.....yeah. 30 people on a 34 foot boat.

[first wind]

Originally Posted by Mikado

I'm very surprised that so many find this story humorous.

A fellow sailor lost their boat and a five year old boy remains in the hospital after almost drowning.

This was a near tragedy and I was hoping that local CF members might have better information than the news is reporting.

Shameful if you ask me.

A not a fellow 'sailor'
B no fatalities and it looks as if everyone will be ok
C extreme human stupidity is funny as long as nobody loses an eye...or any other important parts.

[Elie]

That is no joke!. I have seen the same thing happening at night, on a Seafarer 22 many years ago, with 12 persons aboard. On lady drowned, and the sail boat went to the bottom. This occured when wavelets rocked the boat and peaple stareted to move trom gunwall to gunwall trying to stop the occilations. However. The boat started to ship water, witch added to the rolling until its just capsized and went to the bottom in 30 ft of water. Stability test showed that there was no problem with the sailboat. The skipper was drunk!

[zeehag]

ok lighten up
here is a follow up, the child was was damned lucky, err his parents were so.

VIDEO: Child listed in critical after boat capsizes has been released from hospital | KRON4.com

[uncle stinkybob]

Originally Posted by zeehag

ok lighten up
here is a follow up, the child was was damned lucky, err his parents were so.

VIDEO: Child listed in critical after boat capsizes has been released from hospital | KRON4.com

Thanks Zee. Best news of this whole thread!

[jeepbluetj]

Originally Posted by zeehag

ok lighten up
here is a follow up, the child was was damned lucky, err his parents were so.

VIDEO: Child listed in critical after boat capsizes has been released from hospital | KRON4.com

Even in their followup several days after, the news folks are still saying it's a sailboat. News folks never seem to get it very correct.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Boatswain,

I can understand why you would defend the Coast Guard, having been involved with them so long.

MarkSF hit the nail on the head. Thank you, Mark. My statement about the Coast Guard "patting their back" about the interagency response was because I thought the citizens' efforts should have been mentioned and acknowledged, too, ymmv. I can understand, though, that the coordination of so many assets would have been more important to the CG Captain, and I expect they did their usual good job. Someone would have reported the incident, or the CG skipper may have seen it, but the first responders, the ones who saved the life of the unconscious child, were a "citizen" and an SF cop, whom I consistently credited.

It is an interesting point you make about not sending in a swimmer. From 1/2 way across the world, it seems that the swimmer could have arrived a lot earlier in terms of an unbreathing child than the reported 2 minute response time reported for the CG. That response time, if correct, is EXCELLENT, and the kid wasn't the only one in the water, there were many who needed rescuing.

Still, "Why are you hating on the boys in blue?" I thought unjustified. To me, the "boys in blue" referred to policemen, but did you mean the CG uniforms? Anyhow, fwiw, I wouldn't have said "patting their back" if he had mentioned the citizens' contributions. I do not hate the boys in blue, whether they be coasties or coppers.

Ann

[Boatswain2PA]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

It is an interesting point you make about not sending in a swimmer. From 1/2 way across the world, it seems that the swimmer could have arrived a lot earlier in terms of an unbreathing child than the reported 2 minute response time reported for the CG. That response time, if correct, is EXCELLENT, and the kid wasn't the only one in the water, there were many who needed rescuing.

Still, "Why are you hating on the boys in blue?" I thought unjustified. To me, the "boys in blue" referred to policemen, but did you mean the CG uniforms? Anyhow, fwiw, I wouldn't have said "patting their back" if he had mentioned the citizens' contributions. I do not hate the boys in blue, whether they be coasties or coppers.

Ann

Ann - the decision to not send in a swimmer is multi-factorial. First, one of those response boats doesn't have the "required" swimmer gear. A few years ago a Station Commanding Officer got reamed because HE sent a swimmer toward a capsized boat (in flat calm seas) to save a life (didn't work) without the "required" gear.

Even if I DID have the required gear, I would be busy picking up the many PIW who COULD die versus spending time trying to get people, who MIGHT be alive, out from under the hull or spending time doing CPR on a cardiac arrest (even a child). Triage sucks.

Regarding my question about "hating on the boys in blue"...I think that was lost in translation. It really was a question, specifically pointed to what was referenced before. Please accept my apologies if it came across as an actual accusation.

[JPA Cate]

^^^^^

No offense taken where none was meant.



Ann

[captgrail]

Luckily no one died. I used to go out for fleet week but since the waters are full of inexperienced "holiday boaters" or basically anything that will float - I stopped doing it, it was more like a captains stress test and I never got to see anything in the air cause I was always focused on the but a bunch of idiots headed towards my boat.. If I go I go a day early and get a slip so I can enjoy the show. Things people might not be thinking about if you have never been the whole city becomes a parking lot when the show is going on and the waterfront is no exception. The interagency response WAS great when you consider the number of victims in the water, the rescue boats being able to maneuver to get to the site given the maze of boats in the area (some just observing I'm sure, others throwing life jackets) getting the ambulances to the dock without being stopped by or running over the throngs of people positioned in every square inch of available space, dock or walkway and getting the people all out of the water and back to shore and the hospital. The biggest miracle of miracles, someone was willing to risk there life to pull that baby out from inside the cabin and start CPR on them before this all came together. Hopefully this man or men will get some media recognition but they have already earned a place upstairs IMO. The family that was naive enough to endanger there child by getting on a boat with way too many passengers has a complete debt of gratitude to pay this person (or persons) who acted so quickly because it could have been a recovery operation. Yes the USCG and responders did a great job but without going into the water to pluck that child out of the cabin it would have been more like 29 rescued and one recovery. Every passenger on that boat should be publicly thanking them. The boat has been lifted and is back in a slip being gone over (maybe the "reporters" can now get the story straight? doubtful) The "skipper" who was "cooperating" per the media is now "missing" per the media. Perhaps the police should have held him?! At some point yes, charges of some kind will be filed. Not enough life jackets #1, children not wearing lifejackets which is the law, but it should also be negligence and a nice big bill for the cost to pull that boat back up maybe the response teams costs and hospital costs. It amazes me how little common sense people have these days. Needless to say the "skipper" was brain dead but the other adults should have had some inkling there were too many on the boat. Even docked at the pier moving around they should have felt the instability. Sad thing is they could have just stayed in the slip and had a better view than most without risking everyone's lives.