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PatSea
USA
86 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 09:53:38
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I had a frightning experience this week that really got me to thinking about how things can go wrong quickly while at the dock. To make a long story short I was working on my boat at the marina on a nice quiet Monday morning when I began to hear a person yelling. I couldn't make out what they were saying, and it sounded like they were several city blocks off in the distance. After hearing this for awhile, I walked down the docks for a distance and then I realized that the person was yelling "HELP", and that the person seemed to be in our marina, on the other side of the fairway. I immediately ran over to that side of the marina, went out on the floating docks and found a guy stuck in his engine compartment. This was about a 30 foot Sea Ray and he was trapped head first between the engines with his head down near the bilge. About all I could see were his feet! There was no way I could pull him out by myself, so I ran to the marina office and got help. One of the guys was an EMT and he took charge. It took 3 of us about 30 minutes to pull him out. He was cut from trying to free himself and required 3 stitches on his arm. He had been trapped for about an hour before I found him.
He of course was light headed after he got out, and except for the cuts was OK.
He said he was doing some maintenance in the engine compartment and dropped a nut, so he decided to go head first to retrieve it. He got stuck and the more he tried to free himself, the tighter he became wedged.
The one lesson I learned is never go into a tight space like the engine compartment without someone being with you.
I also noted that although his boat was only about 50 yards from mine, his cries for help were very weak and muffled due to being surrounded by all the equipment, the hull etc.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? |
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Riverratt
USA
1059 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 10:09:35
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I bought a used boat and found a skeleton wedged behind the engine.
Just kidding of course, but I often think that this could ultimately be the the way it ends for me. |
Edited by - Riverratt on Jul 28 2010 10:18:20 |
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Gregory S
USA
7170 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 10:10:17
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| No, but if I'm going to be crawling arouhd in the tight spaces in the bilge, I always make sure someone knows I'm there and will come looking if a half hour goes by and he hasn't seen me. |
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Bluto
USA
16 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 10:11:48
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| Well not as bad...but I was seeing what life vests fit me and I got one of those yellow, sticky, spungy types on and couldn't get it off. It was so tight and cutting off circulation and nobody was around. I relaxed and finally backed into a corner of a wall and used it to free myself. |
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carver 2557
Canada
6772 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 10:12:03
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| I always try to get someone else to do the work in the engine compartment... |
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solar
Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
664 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 10:22:46
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| Did that at a marina on Antigua. I was fitting a new ham radio antenna on the deck near the stern. I had crawled in the cockpit locker and wormed myself over a seacock to the back to remove some nuts. It was a good thing my wife was above holding the bolts with a wrench. When I had finished I tried to crawl backwards but was stuck over the seacock. The temperature was very high in the yard being it was summer and was sweating and shaking as the seacock was stuck in my ribs. My wife tried to pull me out but took quite a long time. She finally got me out. I remembered telling her to get a chainsaw and cut me out. |
SOLAR |
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Jim D
USA
432 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 10:22:51
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I had a similar experience. In order to reach to the bottom of my forward bilge (where the drain plug is), I have to lay down on the step that leads down into the forward cabin. It puts my body on an incline going face first into the bilge. I slid in once and just barely got myself out. I remember thinking what a crappy way to die.
I don't do that now without a buddy. |
'85 Chris Craft 350 Catalina Aftcabin 35ft
Merc MIEs 350 260hp FWC
Onan MCCK 6.5kw gen FWC
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MikeeH
USA
11146 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 10:25:17
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| Yep. A dockmate had his boat (32' SR) on the hard for winter lay-up and, in the spring, was on the boat alone getting it commissioned and ready for launch. Somehow, and I'm not clear on how, he was wedged in the engine compartment and dislocated his hip. As the boat was in a more remote section of the marina I understand he was screaming for a couple of hours before a maintenance guy found him. I learned to make sure someone was around when working alone on a boat or at least never get into a position where I could not access my cell phone. |
Mike
He’s one of those who knows that life
Is just a leap of faith;
Spread your arms and hold you breath;
Always trust your cape. Guy Clark
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Gregory S
USA
7170 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 10:44:06
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| This one still scares me, not the ER though. a friend was looking for cause of no water flow from his air cond. No one else even at the marina! Jumped in the water swam under the boat with his mask on to look at the thru hull. Looked clear so he stuck his finger in. Yup, finger got stuck. Finally got it un-stuck before he drowned. He said if he'd had a knife, he would have thought about cutting his finger off! |
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jlee815
USA
277 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 11:01:42
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| Good Stuff that would be a terrible way to die...Thanks for raising awareness. |
Jason
Doral Prestancia |
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Shadowcruzr
USA
10223 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 11:47:53
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| I almost had it happen to me on a 42 Regal behind the guys house. He was gone for a month, nobody else knew I was there and my cell phone was up on the deck (so i wouldnt drop it in the bilge..) Had to fight my way in deeper into the engine room to be able to turn around. had to remove genny exhaust to do it. scared the crap out of me... |
Paul
ETC, USCG, Ret
Dispite the suicide bombers and the burning desire to kill infidels, we are a peaceful religion... |
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toofast
395 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 12:09:29
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| Moral of the story is, if you drop you Nut, forget about it :-) |
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KiDa
USA
12769 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 12:16:23
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| Clear evidence as to why all boat designers should be required to retrieve their pay from the bottom of the bilge they designed. They should be paid in dimes. |
____________
Best Regards,
David
Saint Max
'99 330 Sundancer
==========
Capitalism is to this administration what Judaism was to the Third Reich.
-- Me |
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cgpuddles
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 12:22:32
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| I was working on my first boat, a 20' Regal Valanti. I was adding a second battery as I began venturing into the lakes (great) more and away from the inland lakes. I moved the current battery aft, secured the box, added a second batter box and secured it. When I went to strap the aft battery in I droped the strap around the back. I couldn't get to it from the engine compartment or from the battery access because of the new battery. So I jump on the swim platform and raise my trusty (very) little hatch where my bimini stored. Reaching down and a few choice twists later I was in the engine compartment, by way of my bimini hatch to my neck with my shoulder and all jammed into this little hole. My arm was so twisted around things to reach the strap, which I got, that I think when I finished my back was aganst the transom with my shoulder poping out of socket. I pull to remove the arm and..... nothing. Panic ensues, my heart rate rises blood flows to my arm but can't return, arm swells making it more impossible. This is when the 'you idiot' thoughts enter your mind. The wife was out of state visiting the inlaws, boat in the driveway no neighbors around. was thinking I was going to have to dislocate the shoulder, grab the cell phone and call 911. I was so embarsed to be stuck in such a small boat. I pulled and pulled and pulled until my arm bled in a few spots, my arm full of fiberglass splinters. I finally had to pull my selftogether, think calm thoughts for a few minutes and was able to finally get out. I too learned a valuable lesson! |
Mike
1998 Maxum 2400 SCR
VICTORS VALIANT
2003 Ford Excursion Eddie Bauer 6.0l Powerstroke (Sold)
2011 Ford F250 Lariat 4x4 6.7L Powerstroke (on order) |
Edited by - cgpuddles on Jul 28 2010 12:24:47 |
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LouC
1331 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 13:09:19
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| I have seen people doing crazy things to work on inboards in my harbor....maybe that's why some people will have only outboards.... |
1988 Four Winns 200 Horizon 4.3 OMC Cobra
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 Selectrac
2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 Hemi Quadradrive II |
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lark
110 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 13:18:21
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| Watch the first part of the movie "Pandorum". The movie isn't that good but there is a scene like this discussion. |
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Bill 2
USA
1520 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 13:41:22
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This is "No $hit" and happened a very long time ago. A guy who had purchased an older 41' Hatteras Convertible had come down to the YC to do some work in the engine room and bilge. He was a nice, hard working man who pretty much did as much of his own work as possible.
I remember greeting him as he went aboard his boat, securing the door open. We both went about our business, and when I finished mine, I just left the YC.
It was not unusual for him to stay aboard overnight, so it did not seem unusual that the door to the salon was open early the next morning, nor did it seem unusual that it remained open throughout the day. Later during the afternoon, his wife called the YC asking if anyone had seen her husband.
Noticing that his p/u truck was in the parking lot, someone went down to his boat to see if he was there; and he was - dead in the engine room. In this case, he had suffered a heart attack and succumbed on his beloved boat.
A true story and it's no $hit...
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Bill 2
Remembering 9.11.01 |
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WALSHIE
USA
9038 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 13:52:35
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| Never been there but after reading similar tales, I make sure to have my cell phone within an arm's length away when entering the bilge. |
The sign on my boat: Wanted to Buy: Carbon Credits |
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KnottyBuoyz
Canada
1922 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 13:58:40
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| I remember a scene from the movie "The Abyss" when Ed Harris' character (Virgil Brigman) jambs his hand in the watertight door as it was closing. He was wearing a heavy stainless steel ring which held the door back saving his life. I always thought to myself I want a SS ring like that. The wife got me one and boy did it came in handy. I was in the bilge trying to change the starter on my boat. This required loosening the engine mounts and jacking up the engine. I had about half an inch of room to get the bolts out (Chevy bolts from the bottom) with a crowfoot wrench and flexible ratchet. All the time I'm doing this in the marina right where Wayne (Carver2557) is docked. Weekday and nobody's around. Well stupid me kicked the jack out from under the engine and it falls right on my ring finger. The ring held the engine up but I was trapped with my head in the bilge and my hand under an 800 lb engine. First panic, tried to yank it out, wouldn't budge. Decided I better take a breath and think this through. I got my other hand on a quart of engine oil that was nearby and poured some on my hand. Working it slowly so not to risk swelling I eventually got myself free with my ring holding the engine up! |
Yours Aye!
Rick
"If it breaks, make it stronger." If it's not broke, try harder!" Author unknown. |
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PatSea
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 14:08:29
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| Having a cell phone with you is not always the answer. This gentleman would not have been able to use a cell phone because his arms were trapped. |
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PeteMrrs
USA
2434 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 14:45:40
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I think of this situation everytime I change my oil filters. I contort my body into positions I never thought possible at my age.
Everytime I'm doing this I think I should install remote filters, then I just move on to the next task. |
"I golf in the mid 80's, . . . . Anything higher than that and I'm in the pool." |
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PascalG
USA
17066 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 15:41:51
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| i like the idea of making boat designers retrieve their paycheck from the bilge! especailly Sea Ray designers/"engineers" |
Pascal
1970 Hatteras 53 MY
12' Westphal Catboat
16' Hobie Cat
2007 Sandbarhopper 13
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Paul Isaac
USA
259 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 16:03:00
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quote:
Originally posted by jlee815
Good Stuff that would be a terrible way to die...Thanks for raising awareness.
x2 |
Paul |
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jlee815
USA
277 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 16:16:43
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| KnottyBuoyz you are one lucky son of a gun.... let's try to avoid any like issues on your new project. I want to see that thing get done and you with all your digits that God gave ya... |
Jason
Doral Prestancia |
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Flutterby
USA
13164 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 16:33:17
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One time I was cleaning the head on a 27' boat. Of course the head was small. I bent my knees and slid my back down the bulkhead to the base of the head. Then I turned my body to reach around to the back and dislocated my knee in the process. I couldn't get up or even stretch out my leg. The pain was excruciating and all I could do was scream in pain.
Fortunately my BF was up on the dock and heard my screams. He was able to get his hands under my arms and lift me up and out. My knee went back into place as soon as I could straighten my leg and then I was fine. If I had been alone.........
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A hole in the water I no longer throw money into! |
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KnottyBuoyz
Canada
1922 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 16:57:48
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quote:
Originally posted by jlee815
KnottyBuoyz you are one lucky son of a gun.... let's try to avoid any like issues on your new project. I want to see that thing get done and you with all your digits that God gave ya...
Thnx Jason. I've put a lot of thought into maintenance and accessibility. I don't ever want to be in that situation ever again. Remote filters, waste oil pump etc. are top priority on my list. Besides I'm not as "svelte" as I used to be! :-)
Wayne, you're a skinny lil' bugger, you could probably crawl under your engine w/o any problem. You should be in there doing your own maintenance. :-) |
Yours Aye!
Rick
"If it breaks, make it stronger." If it's not broke, try harder!" Author unknown. |
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L. Keith
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 17:42:02
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If the man that built it had to work on it, you can bet things would be different.
I was doing a pre-departure inspection of an ocean hopper barge several years ago. The barge was in a local shipyard getting some top side work done before it left on an international voyage. The bow rake compartment hatch was open and I climbed down the ladder and started my inspection. I left my hard hat and work vest (life jacket) on the deck next to the hatch to mark where I was. I was doing my thing and about at amidships of the compartment when I noticed the sun light from the deck hatch went dark. Not good. I hurried back to ladder climbed up 18' and pushed on the hatch cover, no movement, the hatch cover was dogged from the out side and I was inside. A welding machine was running on deck so nobody could hear me shout. But as long as that welding machine was running somebody was on deck. I dropped back down the ladder and found a piece of angle frame drop lying in the bilge, you gotta love shipyard workers! I waiting until I heard the welding machine shut down and climbed back up the ladder and beat the hatch cover with the angle drop for all I was worth. A few minutes later the hatch cover opened and the welder's eyes were the size of saucers. He thought he was seeing a ghost, he had no idea anybody was still aboard. I never found the guy who closed the hatch, disregarding my gear at the hatch. My life jacket and hard hat were still on deck when I got out. |
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Easter
USA
88 Posts |
Posted - Jul 28 2010 : 18:38:52
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| Similar thing happened to a Sea Ray mechanic at our other marina. He got his belt caught on something, and was not able to reach his phone. Fellow workers realized that he had been missing for awhile and couldn't get him on the phone. Backtracked his work orders and found him hung up in a 30' Sea Ray ER. |
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Skeetobite
639 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2010 : 06:22:43
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After reading stories like this, I keep 2 of these onboard:
I fitted one with the loop end of heavy duty velcro to pull bilge diapers out (replaced the suction cups).
You would be surprised by how small an object these will pick up.
I think I paid $9 at Wal-Mart |
America... A hole in the map I throw money into. |
Edited by - Skeetobite on Jul 29 2010 06:25:55 |
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Rustydog
USA
207 Posts |
Posted - Jul 29 2010 : 09:54:08
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quote:
Originally posted by toofast
Moral of the story is, if you drop you Nut, forget about it :-)
Not a good thing if you work around airplanes, something loose can bind control cables or short out electrical stuff. |
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Kevin P. Shortell
Dawn Treader II
532 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2010 : 15:02:07
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| Wow! |
Semper Paratus |
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stmbtwle
8757 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2010 : 16:44:55
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| Ahhhh the pleasure of homebuilt boats. My engine room is 8' x 12' and has ONE lonely 6-cyl diesel and a few batteries. I have room left over to put a couple bunks down there for guests (if I ever had any guests). |
Willie... She's a tired old gal but she's paid for! (several times over) |
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BillyK
USA
383 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2010 : 16:45:43
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I call someone before I go into the bilge and call them back when I get out.
I got stuck upside down strapping a drop light on my dripless stuffing box four years ago. It was cold out in November or I would not have stayed conscience long enough to get myself out. Scared $hitless is an understatement, there was nobody around.
Billy K.
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"Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience". |
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rnbenton
2588 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2010 : 16:50:58
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I keep a mechanics magnet in the boat "Tool Kit" for just such incidents. Long flexible cable with a pretty strong magnet on the end. Slide it down to where the offending dropped part is and bingo, snaps it right up.
But, if what I drop is plastic or brass ...... I guess it stays put. 
Bob
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Carver Voyager 28
Twin Yanmar Diesels
"Jimbo Song" |
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zane
535 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2010 : 17:46:00
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Scary stuff. While I have never been stuck I have creeped myself out by imagining my feet breaking the seacock off as I wiggle out from a crevice I was never meant to fit. Times like that you really start to wonder if your pumps are big enough!!
These stories reminded me of this poor guy. Just happened. Got his arm stuck in his furnace and had to cut the arm off to escape.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37620783/ns/us_news-life/ |
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stmbtwle
8757 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2010 : 17:48:40
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" Times like that you really start to wonder if your pumps are big enough!!"
And folks wonder why I have 3 (THREE) pumps in the ER... |
Willie... She's a tired old gal but she's paid for! (several times over) |
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Topic |
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Trapped in engine compartment!!