To report any 'Emergency'
Include as much
info as
possible about the emergency in as
few words as possible.
Give your position, number of personal on board and description of
Vessel/Aircraft/Vehicle
& Colors.
State clearly and slowly the situation and lend assistance
if possible.
Medical Information
WebMD.com
Check out this great site for
medical information. Search for almost any remedy
Priority
Information
"Please
Read This Important Notice to Mariners from the National Data Bouy
Center
Man found after 17 days in Gulf of Mexico
MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida man was rescued after drifting 17
days in the Gulf of Mexico aboard his sailboat, the U.S. Coast
Guard said.
Gary Policy, 39, of Lake Worth was last seen March 13 when he
and a friend left Cozumel, Mexico, on board a 28-foot sloop
named Renegade.
Policy told the Coast Guard that his friend, Jerry Lee Simmons,
was knocked overboard about three hours after they left the
Mexican port. He said he was unable to recover his friend
because the seas were rough and he was an inexperienced sailor.
After Simmons was lost, Policy said he began calling for help on
the boat's radio but was answered in Spanish and could not
describe his problem because he did not speak the language.
Policy said he was able to activate the boat's locater system and
began heading toward Florida about 36 hours after Simmons fell
overboard.
He was located Monday night by another boat about half a mile
from the Florida coast. The Coast Guard and FBI questioned
Policy about the accident and he was later released.
A few lessons here: Make sure all crew are familiar with man over board procedures and how the control systems (Sails, engine, throttle, rudder, etc..) operate'. Learn enough of the local language to ask and receive assistance, morse code? Always have a emergency bag w/ water, food, fishing equipment, exposure protection:sun screen and cloth for shade. This guy was lucky to have the boat as a "life boat"...Just goes to show ya' You never know...editor