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August 15, 2008
Volunteers Disciplined for Rescuing Swimmer in Uninspected Boat
Drawing the attention of bureaucrats is never a good idea under an authoritarian regime. The nail that sticks its head up will be hammered down. In Britain, which is degenerating into totalitarian moonbattery at a terrifying rate, even rescuing a drowning girl can get you in trouble.
A volunteer coastguard crew face disciplinary action after going to the rescue of a teenage swimmer in a boat that had recently been repaired and was awaiting a seaworthiness inspection.
The four crewmen were on duty at Hope Cove in South Devon when the 15-year-old girl was swept out to sea by a powerful rip tide. They braved heavy surf to launch their 17ft rigid inflatable.
The girl was rescued by a diver and the coastguard crew brought her ashore. But within hours their boat had been confiscated and the station officer and his crew had been threatened with disciplinary action.
The station officer is Ian Pedrick, who owns a nearby pub. He has been ordered by Maritime and Coastguard Agency bureaucrats not to comment on the incident. At least Britain hasn't reached the point yet where he would simply disappear for having forgotten that in Airstrip One, the rule of rescue has been repealed.
On a tip from Rob Banks.
Posted by Van Helsing at August 15, 2008 10:33 AM
Comments
The victims of moonbattery are three of the things they do not posses: individual initiative, the actual caring for others and common sense.
Posted by: IOpian at August 15, 2008 1:13 PM
File this one under "things that make you want to blow your brains out".
Posted by: KHarn at August 15, 2008 4:30 PM
Oh tell me about it, KHarn. It's probably the only thing that makes me glad guns are illegal, because the temptation is way too strong... *rolls eyes* saved from myself by the all-pervasive state once again! Hail the progressive future! Or something.
I need to stock up on whisky before they decide to ban that, too.
Posted by: Archonix at August 15, 2008 4:48 PM
The Germans could've just waited 68 years to launch air raids; I'm sure the modern RAF would have to keep its fighters grounded until everybody had the proper safety certificates and purchased carbon offsets for all the jet fuel and gunpowder they'd have to burn in repelling the Luftwaffe.
Posted by: PabloD at August 15, 2008 8:00 PM
As a safety specialist I can say that using uncertified equipment is an no-no in the rescue community...
If a commander instructs his people to use uncertified equipment to perform a task, and something goes wrong as a result, he'll be held personally liable. This brings discredit to the rescue unit and lowers public confidence in said unit. If the rescuers do it themselves, and something goes wrong, they'll be held personally liable. This brings discredit to the rescue unit and lowers public confidence in said unit. If the rescuers use certified equipment and something goes wrong, all blame goes to the certifying body and manufacturer, thus leaving the rescue unit unscathed in any potential legal battle...
Think it doesn't happen? Ask McDonalds what happened when they handed a cup of hot coffee to a woman without first warning her that it was hot...
It's all legal bullshit...
Those heroes should have received a public commendation and a very private, undocumented, reprimand for failing to follow the SOP's...
Posted by: Richard Evans at August 15, 2008 11:55 PM
