Inflatable PFD Failure in Rough Surf: One Fatality

A

AstoriaDave

New member
Five of six inflatable PFDs were pulled over the heads of swimmers caught in rough surf. One fatality resulted. Details and analysis here:

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2013/ ... -accident/

Their takeaway:

5) It is our experience that the auto-inflating PFD’s worn by our crew were not adequate in these rough conditions. Sailors should be aware that the force of wave action can pull the bladder away from the harness and over your head, even if thigh straps are worn. If forced to abandon their vessel, sailors should consider taking off their auto-inflating PFD’s and put on an offshore Type 1 lifejacket. If possible, leave the vessel with some type of additional floatation.

-----------
My takeaway: Admittedly, the surf these guys were forced to transit constituted an extreme situation. Nonetheless, I suspect PFD manufacturers will be addressing this problem. I hardly think in a sudden MOB situation my first act would be to toss a conventional strap on PFD at the swimmer. Better to fix fhe inflatable harness design.
 
Dave- That edition of Scuttlebutt was "Published on September 4th, 2013". Two and a half years ago.

Is there any evidence that progress has been made in the re-design of inflatable life jackets?

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
As was mentioned in one of the posts following the Scuttlebutt article, I wonder too, what inflatable PFD's were being worn. AND as Joe asks, has there been any addressing of the issue by the mfg's?

I keep my inflatable on when on the boat, and 3 Off-shore "Big Orange" jackets available for the big "If all goes south" situation.

Curious if Mustang (not that they are the ones worn, but they are popular) has looked into this.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

1_10_2012_from_Canon_961.highlight.jpg
 
Excellent information. This incident happened in March 2013, and was during an around the Islands race. The boat was a Columbia Carbon 32--very ultralight. There are failures on the boat (rudder), which lead to the shipwreck. I was particularly interested in the article at the time. I have raced a number of similar races in s. Calif., including this exact course. I raced Columbia/Coronado boats for over 20 years.

On another forum, several of the posters suggested that it was "better" to have no life jacket on, since having the jacket, kept an experienced person from ducking beneath the oncoming waves, to avoid being slammed on the bottom.

This may be true, for an experienced body surfer, but I doubt that it would be wise for the average boater. It would seem to be an easy "fix" with straps do restrain the inflatable PFD from going over the head. Perhaps a modification which could be done by the boat owner. However there is a defect in the specific life jacket which may make these more subject to failure in surf.

The specifics of the securing arrangements of these PFD are not given in the article. However they were the subject of rather intense scrutiny subsequently; The vests were "Spinlock Deckvests"

Practical sailor had "recommended" these vests in an article in July 2013 in an article on lifejackets. They did further analysis as below:

Practical sailor article on life vest

Craig Williams, the lone sailor who died, was found in the water unconscious with the bladder “on one side of his head,” according to the report. From the description of the other crew members who had problems with their vests, it seems that in heavy surf a person’s head can squeeze through the gap between the vest and the bladder (or the entire left side of the vest slips over the head), and the PFD assumes this new lopsided position with the bladder on one side only.

Although we have not yet been unable to duplicate the scenario described in the accident report with our Deckvest, it could possibly occur if any of these conditions are present:

Crotch straps are missing or loose. These straps need to be as snug as possible when working on the boat, and can be snugged up even more in the water. (Unfortunately, snug fit quickly becomes a problem because the straps become uncomfortable after a short period.)
The vest is not tightened snugly against the body. Any vest should be fitted so that it can not ride up in the water. Have a partner try to lift you from the shoulder straps to check fit.
The vest is not fully inflated. Partial inflation can be an advantage if you are trying to gain more mobility in the water, either when climbing into a lifeboat or struggling in surf, but doing this opens the gap between the bladder and the vest. In our view, a partially deflated vest should still maintain its form and close fit.
Heavy breaking waves. Rough conditions can challenge any inflatable life jacket, even if it fits well and has a crotch strap.

The Bluestorm Extreme PFD/harness has a bladder that is separate from the vest. Testers noted that it tended to ride up more than other designs in our 2008 PFD/harness test.
It is possible that any of the inflatable harness/PFDs that we have tested could slip up or even completely off in the conditions encountered by the crew of Uncontrollable Urge. However, PFDs like the Deckvest and Bluestorm Xtreme that have the non-integral bladder seem to be more susceptible to fit issues in these conditions. This is another reason why we continue to prefer jackets with integral bladders like our Best Choice, the Mustang 3184, for offshore cruising, even though it is less compact. The Mustang 3184 is fitted with a hydrostatic Hammar inflator, which is more resistant to accidental inflation than other inflators, but it is more difficult to service. On the plus side, the interval between servicing is longer. Any of the other harness/PFDs that have earned Recommended ratings in the August 2008 or December 2006 issues would do as well.

The Spinlock Vests are the only vest with a non-integral bladder that we have given Recommended rating, and the basis of the recommendation rested greatly on the vest's compact fit when not inflated, and its easy-to-service Pro Sensor inflation system that resists accidental inflation.

In an e-mail to PS, James Hall of Spinlock pointed out that the conditions the accident were extremely demanding for any vest. He said the company was in close contact with panel members who wrote the report and reviewing responses to the report to see if changes can be made to future product range.
Click to expand...

US sailing investigation and report

There is another interesting article on Spinlock lifejackets, also well worth reading:

Spinlock lifejackets

For those who have not done offshore racing, consider that one lives in these lifejackets, and must be able to move rapidly, and with co-ordination un-inhibited.

Marie and I had custom built fitted life jackets built by North Sports, which cannot come off, and also protect our ribs from fracture (something I had experienced previously in offshore sailing).

In rough water the type I with a high collar are the best...but do not allow you to move easily on a deck. Also consider that the water in March off S. Calif. is cold!
 
Here's a review of possible problems with the particular type of vest in question (Spinlock Deckvests), written shortly after the incident: http://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/Re ... 1226-1.htm

It appears that vests such as the Mustang which have integrated bladders may be less susceptible to the problems encountered in the accident. Proper fit and attention to adjustment while wearing are critical, but if conditions are bad enough, all bets may be off . . .

Dr Bob snuck in ahead of me.
 
Thanks to Bob and Bill for in-depth info.

I body surfed a lot in my youth, and can guarantee you I would never purposely wear a PFD in heavy surf, certainly nothing over 6 feet, if I were swimming. But, if I were offshore boating, or paddling a small craft, I would wear one, and never expect to doff it if my craft got caught in surf. Unless you are experienced in swimming in surf, you are probably better off with the PFD, IF it is properly fitted.

Inflatables that are snug collapsed can be very tight when inflated, depending on the design. Unless the weather is cool, I wear the inflatable on the power boat. Other water sports, I use a foam zip up Type III.
 
Back
Top