Poor form from fisho's

[b8nburlee]

however the spearies possibly acted (probably panic for a start), y would you leave the guy there. get him in the faster boat and get motoring , report the destination on the way. if i had the faster boat there would be no question of getting him as close as possible to medical help, even if it was only a few minutes less, it could be the vital few minutes the poor guy needs to survive before bleeding out or dying from shock.
and yes im guilty of the knee jerk reaction to hearing only partial facts, but still its potentially someone's life were talking about here, act fast and act now.

[Scott nthQld]

still doesn't change that the spearo's had no idea what to do in an event like this, they weren't even prepared for it, though the risk of shark attack is very low, what about the various sharp object they would have, spear guns for a start, knives, spare spear heads etc. The victim would have lost a lot less blood, had they had the proper first aid supplies, laid him down, kept him calm and elevated the limb, and stayed and waited for emergency services, the arguing and then subsequent bolt to heron island, being bashed about the boat would have done more harm than good, causing more blood loss and potentially more nerve and tissue damage.

People are always asking how much is your safety worth when it comes to epirbs, well what about a first aid cert and kit?? or even a a working radio.

[TimiBoy]

Yep, I'm glad I held back and waited for the full story. I daresay the skipper of the fishing boat was pretty level headed, and wasn't about to make things worse. So the divers told the media their side, and thus we get a beat up.

God I hate the media.

Tim

[kingtin]

At the risk of generalising about youth................it says it all really................it'll never happen to me and if it does..............let's find someone else to blame. Not knocking the guy or his mates per se, but isn't his reaction to the boat skipper not taking him on board, down to most youth not being able, or simply refusing to see the broader picture, with the media being just as bad in looking for a hype to any story they can get their hands on?

My first thoughts when the media reported on the boat (they said initially that it was a trawler) was how the feck could that travel faster than their own rig?

kev

[krazyfisher]

I did not want to comment without both sides......
people are always quick to judge without all the facts.

[dudeman]

I was out there that day at Skyes Reef.

The guys they asked for assistance were in a Cat with twin 225hp motors.

Heron Island is only a 30min run in a boat like that and a lot more stable for the injured guy.

Blood loss was the major concern.

Heron Island is also equiped with medical Staff, which had him stablised when the Resue Chopper arrived.

The wind that day was only 2 to 5 knots. Also there radio was working at the boat when we left.

Every Dog Has His Day, and one day this guy in the Cat may need there assistance, I wonder what action they will take! Assist When Assistance is Needed as a Duty of Care.

[Marlin_Mike]

as usual there are 3 sides to the story......his.....theirs....and soemwhere in between the truth


Mike

[boney-leg]

still doesn't change that the spearo's had no idea what to do in an event like this, they weren't even prepared for it, though the risk of shark attack is very low, what about the various sharp object they would have, spear guns for a start, knives, spare spear heads etc. The victim would have lost a lot less blood, had they had the proper first aid supplies, laid him down, kept him calm and elevated the limb, and stayed and waited for emergency services, the arguing and then subsequent bolt to heron island, being bashed about the boat would have done more harm than good, causing more blood loss and potentially more nerve and tissue damage.

People are always asking how much is your safety worth when it comes to epirbs, well what about a first aid cert and kit?? or even a a working radio.

Bit harsh Scott - considering your posting about the Townsville Breakwater incident.

[FNQCairns]

So what boat and engine did the spearo's have? A helicopter at 140knots or a cat at 42kn but what about the spearo's boat?

cheers fnq

[boney-leg]

A helecopter might do 140kn but it doesn't just launch straight away and where is it coming from? They would have got to Heron before it did plus Heron had facilities to better stabalise the patient.

[FNQCairns]

Yeah you are right, it doesn't seem if there was a faster way to closest help except possibly the spearo's boat depending on ground swell.

Given the untrained nature of the average joe in these things me included sometimes the best call is best left to the trained individuals, I wonder what advice he received from the other end of the phone? I would guess if the skipper ignored advice given or proffered, then all good Samaritan legislation would go out the window.

We exist in the world our governement and authorities has chosen for us, not the one we might have chosen.

I wonder if he could have made the right decision in any case.

cheers fnq

[Sea-Dog]

http://www.gladstoneobserver.com.au/...uld-fisherman/



A MAN on the boat alleged to have left a shark attack victim without assistance said they did everything they could to help the 19-year-old.
In a statement made to the Gladstone water police, the man said “they were sick to the stomachs with concern for the young man’s safety” and “believe they had done everything they could possibly do under the circumstances”.
He told police that one of the family members aboard the 30ft vessel caught sight of the smaller fishing vessel whose occupants were frantically screaming that there had been a shark attack.
The trio of spearfishers asked the skipper on the boat for help, which the man said was immediately provided.
The skipper asked if they had radioed for help and was told that the small fishing vessel’s radio was not in working order.
The spearfishers yelled at the skipper to take the shark attack victim aboard but under the circumstances the skipper thought that it would not be in John Pengelly’s best interests to transfer the heavily bleeding man from one vessel to another as it would cause him unnecessary trauma and potentially make his injuries worse.
The skipper notified the authorities and advised the men to head to Heron Island.
The skipper immediately radioed VMR Gladstone advising them that there had been a shark attack and an emergency helicopter and paramedics were needed on Heron Island.
The man said the skipper remained in contact with authorities until the shark attack victim reached Heron Island and word was received that a helicopter had arrived.
The man said his family, who were on the boat, were distraught to hear that Mr Pengelly had implied they did nothing to help.
He said they were “under a lot of stress and had replayed the situation over and over in their heads and still believe...they did everything they humanly could for a small family on a family fishing outfit”.
“I’m just absolutely distraught,” he told The Observer.
“My dad is a skipper and he is absolutely gut-wrenched that this could happen after everything we did to help.”

[Bosunsmate]

I recently got turfed out of my boat breaking my arm on the way over the side, I was in the water for an hour waving & screaming (I'm an ex AJ so I have a loud voice) for help at boats that were passing within 100m of me, not one took any notice.....

I was hanging onto the transom 2 3/4 miles out from townsville harbour alongside the main channel with a bust arm, 3 rods in the holders with no lines out, no anchor out, motor out of the water & no one in the boat and not one passing boat bothered to look, it was only a last ditch burst of energy that allowed me to get my grab bag out of the rear locker and let an orange smoke off.

Thanks to the quick thinking of the people on the cruiser "Sanctuary" I am still here for Xmas.....

I have lost faith in the fishing/boating community after this, even after letting the flare off only one boat came to assist considering the carpark at the coast guard ramp was full and at least three or four boats passed me by while I was in the water.

This is the link to the story in the Townsville Bulletin.....
http://redirectingat.com/?id=42X1295...7211_news.html

My thing is that I had left the ramp just before 0700 and was in the water till about 0800, this at a time when the area was quite busy with rec fishers/boaties.

What is it coming to......I know if I see a boat with no visible life aboard and no anchor rope out or the motor out of the water I will definately go have a closer look, I would hope that fellow ausfishers would do the same.

[Crestcutter]

Bosunsmate it happens in the South East as well mate, myself Brejen and Gawby, were coming back inside the Gold Coast Seaway one day heading back to the Grand jetty. I noticed what i thought was a vsheet being held up by an old bloke that owned what looked to be a listing smallish houseboat.

Long story short we got there and this old bloke, i would say in his 70's was trying to save his houseboat by holding it nose to sea as the waves were smashing it. We radioed VMR and stayed with him till they got there. That day i lost faith in fellow man, it really pissed me off as this old bloke must have been passed by 100's of boats before we got there.

Very upsetting ......

[nigelr]

Guys this behaviour is despicable if not culpable, can't believe people can do this, what would they expect if they were in trouble?
Regarding the young spearo, apparently he was bitten on lower arm/hand, so difficulties in moving him to another boat may not have been too risky as far as increasing blood loss during the transfer is concerned? Honestly think you would have had to have been to accurately assess the situation though.
Bosunsmates' and Crestcutters' stories don't say much for present-day attitudes amongst some towards good samaritan or duty of care.
Cheers.