Jetboat capsizes on the Hudson killing two

[Neutron]

Just like many stories the reporters can’t get the info correct…. How hard is it to google AR240 and get the specs.

The one thing I didn’t see mentioned that, at least from what I saw, all the orange PFD’s floating in the water and I didn’t see people wearing them. As the USCG has stated many times, 80% of drownings were preventable had the persons been wearing a pfd.

Ive been built up my cash of self inflating PFD’s, I wear mine anytime I’m on the mains, and any time I have passengers and we are cruising on the mains everyone has one on, I take a few minutes to adjust the straps on each person, they are Super comfy and unobtrusive, I often forget I have mine on. Stories like this just reinforce my adamancy that all my passengers wear them while underway.

The ferry threw life jackets and rings to them. Those floating are probably from the ferry

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I/we wear inflatables also. In order for them to be considered a PDF, they need to be on a person, not at their feet.

I believe you are correct…I have seen contrary info but don’t care about that, I consider no pfd viable unless it’s on the person, kinda like a seat belt or a helmet.

Like any other safety equipment / PPE (personal protective equipment in the industrial world) said equipment needs to be good quality and comfortable to wear, great example are safety glasses, if they are cheap and scratch easily I’d see guys with them pushed up on their forehead so they could read a tape measure for example. At a safety meeting one time I was complaining about the crappy safety glasses and some manager said the ones I had suggested, Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Elite Safety Glasses with Black Frame and Clear Anti-Fog Lens These are awesome by the way..were too expensive. I said I see so safety first unless it costs too much or takes too much time… we had the Smith & Wessons in less than a month.


I chose the auto inflating pfds of the highest buoyancy for myself in case I hit my head and got thrown overboard and was unconscious, that way it would flip my pie hole up towards the air. I got the same pfds for my passengers. I do have 6 regulation orange PFD’s in the Tea bag on the T top, as well as the throwable cushion.

At the end of the day, safety is your own responsibility.


I keep a pair of the clear Smith & Wesson glasses in the Tea bag to use when I’m driving and the light is too low for sunglasses…they work great for that. They fit tight on my face and around my eyes so most of the wind doesn’t come in as well as the errant bug.

 

[zipper]

I believe you are correct…I have seen contrary info but don’t care about that, I consider no pfd viable unless it’s on the person, kinda like a seat belt or a helmet.

Like any other safety equipment / PPE (personal protective equipment in the industrial world) said equipment needs to be good quality and comfortable to wear, great example are safety glasses, if they are cheap and scratch easily I’d see guys with them pushed up on their forehead so they could read a tape measure for example. At a safety meeting one time I was complaining about the crappy safety glasses and some manager said the ones I had suggested, Smith & Wesson Smith & Wesson Elite Safety Glasses with Black Frame and Clear Anti-Fog Lens These are awesome by the way..were too expensive. I said I see so safety first unless it costs too much or takes too much time… we had the Smith & Wessons in less than a month.


I chose the auto inflating pfds of the highest buoyancy for myself in case I hit my head and got thrown overboard and was unconscious, that way it would flip my pie hole up towards the air. I got the same pfds for my passengers. I do have 6 regulation orange PFD’s in the Tea bag on the T top, as well as the throwable cushion.

At the end of the day, safety is your own responsibility.


I keep a pair of the clear Smith & Wesson glasses in the Tea bag to use when I’m driving and the light is too low for sunglasses…they work great for that. They fit tight on my face and around my eyes so most of the wind doesn’t come in as well as the errant bug.

Type V PFD Auto inflate Types of Life Jackets

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Just like many stories the reporters can’t get the info correct…. How hard is it to google AR240 and get the specs.

The one thing I didn’t see mentioned that, at least from what I saw, all the orange PFD’s floating in the water and I didn’t see people wearing them. As the USCG has stated many times, 80% of drownings were preventable had the persons been wearing a pfd.

Ive been built up my cash of self inflating PFD’s, I wear mine anytime I’m on the mains, and any time I have passengers and we are cruising on the mains everyone has one on, I take a few minutes to adjust the straps on each person, they are Super comfy and unobtrusive, I often forget I have mine on. Stories like this just reinforce my adamancy that all my passengers wear them while underway.

If your crew won't/don't wear them while underway you all need to at least have them on deck and easily grabbed in seconds and able to float off the boat when the worst happens. We are land creatures and are used to having time to assess situations, when on the water in a small boat you have seconds to assess AND perform actions. Don't bury those PFD's in the compartments!!!

 

[Murf'n'surf]

And if you are fashionistas and don't like the ugly orange PFDs....... Go buy a bunch of PWC/Wakeboard/Ski vests.

 

[tabbibus]

Just like many stories the reporters can’t get the info correct…. How hard is it to google AR240 and get the specs.

The one thing I didn’t see mentioned that, at least from what I saw, all the orange PFD’s floating in the water and I didn’t see people wearing them. As the USCG has stated many times, 80% of drownings were preventable had the persons been wearing a pfd.

Ive been built up my cash of self inflating PFD’s, I wear mine anytime I’m on the mains, and any time I have passengers and we are cruising on the mains everyone has one on, I take a few minutes to adjust the straps on each person, they are Super comfy and unobtrusive, I often forget I have mine on. Stories like this just reinforce my adamancy that all my passengers wear them while underway.

Any recommendations on these?

 

[adrianp89]

If your crew won't/don't wear them while underway you all need to at least have them on deck and easily grabbed in seconds and able to float off the boat when the worst happens. We are land creatures and are used to having time to assess situations, when on the water in a small boat you have seconds to assess AND perform actions. Don't bury those PFD's in the compartments!!!

I just don't see how this is viable. As soon as I hit the thottle pretty much everything flies away. Life Jackets would too. I keep my Type-1s under the front seats and Type-3s in the head. My type 4 stays next to me.

 

[scokill]

Sounds like way too many people on a small boat.

"Coast Guard officials said the group was on a 24-foot Yamaha AR-240 jet boat. They're not yet sure if it was chartered, as was initially reported, or if the boat was a privately-owned pleasure craft. The 3,660-pound boat has a top speed just below 52 MPH. It also has the capacity to hold the 12 people who were on it at the time of the capsize. "

 

[scokill]

I just don't see how this is viable. As soon as I hit the thottle pretty much everything flies away. Life Jackets would too. I keep my Type-1s under the front seats and Type-3s in the head. My type 4 stays next to me.

I think the bottom line that nobody wants to do is to have everyone wear life jacket all the time. From there it's risk assessment and individual risk tolerance. We dont wear all the time, but I've been caught in pop up storm in extremely rough water where I had to carry on. My wife and I put on the life jackets. But that was known risk/danger, it's the unknown/unexpected that's the problem.

 

[zipper]

Any recommendations on these?

West Marine or Mustang
We wear these type.

All Clear Offshore Inflatable Life Jacket - Superior Offshore Safety | West Marine

Designed for ultimate protection, this life jacket features automatic inflation and high visibility. Perfect for serious boaters and offshore adventurers. Order today!

www.westmarine.com

 

[adrianp89]

I think the bottom line that nobody wants to do is to have everyone wear life jacket all the time. From there it's risk assessment and individual risk tolerance. We dont wear all the time, but I've been caught in pop up storm in extremely rough water where I had to carry on. My wife and I put on the life jackets. But that was known risk/danger, it's the unknown/unexpected that's the problem.

Absolutely. If conditions get rough we will put them on. I am not wearing them around our ICW though.... I can stand in probably 80% of the water lol.

 

[Mainah]

This is sad all around. One thing caught me as something for thought. The diver mentioned the child that got trapped under the boat was wearing a pfd. Freeboard now inverted below the waterline and wearing a pfd.

I have personally been trapped under a 16 foot river raft in class 4 to 5 rapids wearing a white water pfd. Fortunately I hung onto my paddle as one should when I was ejected from the raft and remembered to stick my paddle out when trapped underneath (helmet pinned to bottom of raft as the river was tossing the raft up and down). Also fortunately we were an experienced private crew who do this together on this very river annually and all remained clam. My buddy grabbed my paddle and hauled me out beside the raft then I was able to haul myself back in the raft. We safety brief on this very thing (and others, never let go of your T-handle, etc.) everytime before we launch the raft and it paid off.

Having had that experience under a flat bottom raft minutes after safety brief I cringe at the thought of being trapped under an inverted boat with any amount of freeboard and wearing a pfd and without warning. Underwater+disoriented+added bouyancy+obstacles=very difficult. Obviously wearing the pfd is the still the way to go given the majority of what can happen on the water. Certainly something to be cognizant of if ever encounter this situation as either first or thrid person.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Any recommendations on these?

I‘ve been buying the Scheels store brand of auto inflating pfd’s. I get the 32 or 33 lbs of buoyancy ones as opposed to the 22 lb ones.. the 33 are more expensive but a lighter person can use the 33 but a heavier person cannot use the 22.. and sometimes I have a lot of clothes on. Also, the Scheels brand has a flap on the left side about mid chest wherein you can pull the zipper apart and get the air bladder out and get to the manual inflating tube. Once you pull that Velcro‘d flap the zipper just comes undone. Some of the others I’ve looked at don’t have this or it was not seen by myself, but they all have manual inflating tubes on them. These are a lot like the vests on commercial aircraft but without the outer covering.




West Marine makes a good one for offshore that I was looking at that has a bit of a harness built into it with heavy duty stainless steel D rings so you could clip on a lanyard that is attached to the boat.

The one maintenance item at the beginning of the season each year on these is to pull them out of their ”case” so to speak and make sure the bobbin is still within the date range. The Bobbin dissolves quickly in water and allows the spring charged spike to pierce the CO2 cartridge. I also blow them up manually to make sure there no holes got put in them.

@tabbibus I looked at the scheels branded pfd’s I have and they are made by onyx.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I think the bottom line that nobody wants to do is to have everyone wear life jacket all the time. From there it's risk assessment and individual risk tolerance. We dont wear all the time, but I've been caught in pop up storm in extremely rough water where I had to carry on. My wife and I put on the life jackets. But that was known risk/danger, it's the unknown/unexpected that's the problem.

I’m fortunate.. I just start handing out the pfds and no one says a word except thank you when I hand one to them, other times I have them hanging on the center console uprights and as they get on and stow their stuff they just grab one and put it on. When we get to where we are going and get ready to start fishing I just ask for them back and stow them in the head compartment.. sometimes they just keep them on which is also fine with me.

A quick story… when I first started boating a couple of years ago, there was a story in the local about east river (Missouri river) where some folks pulled up to a launch ramp early in the morning and they say a truck with a boat trailer backed down into the water, but there was no boat and no people around. These folks called the authorities who came and then dispatched other units to begin searching. Pretty soon a report came in about a boat floating down river with no one on it.. eventually they found the owner an older man floating face first in the water. Apparently he had either had some sort of attack, or he fell and hit his head and fell unconscious into the water face first and he drowned. My friends wife was so worried about me boating by myself I promised her that I would always wear my pfd when I launched and retrieved, as well as when I was “sport boating” or driving around the lake.

 

[swatski]

Wow.
I was reading the news, figured you guys would be up on it already...
What a terrible situation.

To say it hits home would be an understatement...
As you know, we have run our 2016 AR240 all around Manhattan, Pier 84 included, all the time.
Kate just pointed out, this particular yammie looks familiar, the "captain" is said to hail from Elizabeth, which is in the Kill channel were we slip the ocean boat; we are pretty sure we have seen these guys launch using boat ramp in my marina in Carteret, NJ.



Lower Hudson, in that tidal stretch, and upper NY bay is very dangerous. swells, ferry wakes, strong wind, it's a washing machine some days. I've also seen it dead calm but that is a rarity.

For context, the shitshow going on in these parts - with jetskkiers and boaters of northern NJ - is legendary; on par with what you would think it would be when watching TV shows like "Jersey Shore".
But even then, 12 people in a AR240 is just completely ridiculous.

I have a sense that rating number will come up to be scrutinized.

--

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I just don't see how this is viable. As soon as I hit the thottle pretty much everything flies away. Life Jackets would too. I keep my Type-1s under the front seats and Type-3s in the head. My type 4 stays next to me.

You will need to get a little crafty in tucking them in cracks, sitting on them or....just wear it.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

West Marine or Mustang
We wear these type.

All Clear Offshore Inflatable Life Jacket - Superior Offshore Safety | West Marine

Designed for ultimate protection, this life jacket features automatic inflation and high visibility. Perfect for serious boaters and offshore adventurers. Order today!

www.westmarine.com

Go with the ones available at West Marine....parts are always available and easy to get after you accidentally jump in or take a wave and you trigger the inflation. It'll scare the crap out of you then you'll laugh for 20 minutes. Ask me how I know

 

[I_squared_r]

This is sad all around. One thing caught me as something for thought. The diver mentioned the child that got trapped under the boat was wearing a pfd. Freeboard now inverted below the waterline and wearing a pfd.

I have personally been trapped under a 16 foot river raft in class 4 to 5 rapids wearing a white water pfd. Fortunately I hung onto my paddle as one should when I was ejected from the raft and remembered to stick my paddle out when trapped underneath (helmet pinned to bottom of raft as the river was tossing the raft up and down). Also fortunately we were an experienced private crew who do this together on this very river annually and all remained clam. My buddy grabbed my paddle and hauled me out beside the raft then I was able to haul myself back in the raft. We safety brief on this very thing (and others, never let go of your T-handle, etc.) everytime before we launch the raft and it paid off.

Having had that experience under a flat bottom raft minutes after safety brief I cringe at the thought of being trapped under an inverted boat with any amount of freeboard and wearing a pfd and without warning. Underwater+disoriented+added bouyancy+obstacles=very difficult. Obviously wearing the pfd is the still the way to go given the majority of what can happen on the water. Certainly something to be cognizant of if ever encounter this situation as either first or thrid person.

That's a terrifying situation and the Hudson river is a rough place to be caught under a boat. A few years ago I was at a large event in Daytona Beach and riding my Superjet in some rough surf. Life vest on, I ended up pearling a wave and getting caught in the barrel. I remained calm, but every time I came up for air, another wave would hit me and disorient me. After fighting for some time and starting to panic, I finally felt the bottom of my ski and pulled myself up, but the ski was starting to sink. Other guys in the event helped me drag it on to to the beach and I was able to continue my weekend after draining the water and puking whatever water I swallowed. But for a few weeks afterwards, I would remember that feeling of drowning and be freaked out by it.

FYI I was wearing my life jacket that was like 10 years old and I learned that it's important to replace life vests after heavy usage. I didn't know that life jackets can lose buoyancy.

RIP to those who lost lives.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

"Coast Guard officials said the group was on a 24-foot Yamaha AR-240 jet boat. They're not yet sure if it was chartered, as was initially reported, or if the boat was a privately-owned pleasure craft. The 3,660-pound boat has a top speed just below 52 MPH. It also has the capacity to hold the 12 people who were on it at the time of the capsize. "

The disconnect, however, is that some folks only read the capacity placard of the boat and don't make a conclusion on how many folks can safely be on the boat in the actual boating conditions. God bless the two people that passed away, but 12 people on a 24 foot in rough conditions is just a stupid thing to do, that I guessing is do to the ignorance of the person who captained the boat. IMHO, in rough conditions, the should be a seat for every a$$ behind the windshield.

Jim

 

[zipper]

Number of persons on board? Or total weight of passengers and gear. Number of persons is based on a 150# person. Not too many adults weigh less than 150#s by what I have seen. I would say most weigh more. So it is not the number of persons on board but their total weight plus gear. With 12 persons aboard, I bet the boat was way over its total passenger weight.