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Old 02-10-2019, 10:37 AM   #89
fatlazyless
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Default ..... new Alton air boat; how long?

Oh yeah ..... the article in the Feb 7, 2019 Alton Baysider has two photos (page 5) of their new Alton ice rescue air-boat ..... it looks like maybe a 16-18' (?) aluminum jon-boat with a large caged wind propeller ...... and a seat for the driver only..... so probably others on-board will either be standing up, or sitting on the down low, center thwart bench, while underway.

This boat is probably similar to the one used in the fatal Cornish NH-Rescue Squad water rescue in August 2006, which was said to be a 15' air-boat, where a 64-year old Vermont woman with a sprained ankle was strapped into a Stokes litter, placed in the bow, only to get drowned, when the boat took on water or something in the Connecticut River, while they transported her from Vermont to New Hampshire, across the river. She should have maybe stayed in Vermont?

Now, an 18' air-boat is probably, actually ...... a lot bigger than a 15' air-boat but there's a lesson here; be very wary about letting the rescuers strap you into a carry litter in a situation like a winter ice, water rescue with a small rescue boat. If you end up in the water while strapped into a Stokes, you will know exactly how a drowning grey squirrel in a Have-a-heart trap feels when dropped into the lake ..... it's like 30 seconds of panicked, under water chaos for the squirrel.

Ya knows .... for about 37-cents each, you can go buy two large nails/small spikes and rig up a set of ice self-rescue hand picks, using an old shoelace, that gets threaded down both sleeves, along your arms ...... hanging near your hands ..... ready to use. And .... of course ..... a home made, foam noodle flotation belt, worn under a coat, around the waist, which holds you higher up in the water than a pfd ...... not that a pfd is bad ..... a pfd is very good ..... but for climbing up and onto the ice ..... a foam noodle maybe makes it a little easier to climb onto the ice sheet.

By the time that new Alton air-boat gets out there to you, you will either be noodle supported, floating in the icy cold water, or already have kicked and ice-picked yourself up, onto the ice, be freez'n cold and wet, and be very happy to see and hear the extremely loud air-boat coming for you. Just try to avoid gett'n strapped into a Stokes' litter for the ride back to shore .... if possible.

An individual can expect to survive 75-minutes, floating in 34-degree water, with a pfd or foam noodle, while your hands, feet, arms and legs will freeze up, making them unable to use till thawed out, later on. Just keep your mouth shut when you first hit the water.
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Last edited by fatlazyless; 02-10-2019 at 12:01 PM.
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