What would Happen if Something went wrong????

[sunny]

Like everyone says, do the first aid course, you never know when you might need it.

If you have done a course, when was the last time you updated? DirtySanchez is right, there have been some changes to CPR recently and some places are already teaching the new method. QAS wasn't when I did my refresher two weeks ago, but said it was going to come really soon. Doesn't really matter, as long as you know how to do CPR.

First Aid and a working radio are two very important things to always have on board. They can mean that you keep someone alive and get the right kind of rescue arriving quickly.

A few years ago I was on board a boat where a mate of mine had a nasty diving accident off Cape Moreton. The only reason he is still with his wife and young son is that someone kept him going with CPR and the medevac chopper got there PDQ. We thought that he was dead. It was a pretty emotional time to see him back on his feet again.

[roz]

Puks - To my understanding, not anymore (very grey area).
Similar to a few years ago where if you commenced CPR you technically weren't supposed to stop unless the person was revived or pronounced deceased by a medical praticioner or coroner etc. If you did stop applying CPR there was fear of prosecution (Someone in the medical industry may be able shed more light on this subject ). If anyone has applied CPR they will know how demanding it is, bloody hard work, to keep at it until the appropriate parties arrive isn't alway possible or realistic.

When I last did my senior St john's first aid. They mentioned the "good samaritan" clause. Which I think prevents law suits. However, I don't think the good samaritan clause covers medical professionals. Not 100% sure though.

I think volvo was saying the same thing.

cheers roz.

[seatime]

Hi guys

I did an up-date for my senior first-aid last Saturday at St John's in the Valley. The new CPR procedures were adopted in April, don't know why QAS doesn't teach it yet.
It is now simpler to remember and implement, but it can be tiring.

The new protocol is 2 breaths to 30 compressions. After 5 sets in 3 minutes you'll be wishing the patient comes round quickly!
There's no more finding a pulse, it's now looking for signs of life, a pulse is hard to find at any time, much less in an emergency.
The old thought of compressing an already beating heart might cause damage was never backed by any scientific evidence.

It's definitely worth keeping your first-aid cert current.

Don't worry too much about legal consequences, there hasn't been a documented case of action against a first-aider, not in Qld anyway.

rgds

[timddo]

mate, do whatever is needed, it's better to be alive and be sued than to be dead. At lease you can defend yourself. What probably will happen the police will send a boat out or a choppa.

[capt]

Iam affraid I will have to agree with PINHEAD this time ! The correct term is Pan Pan , and how many people out there have a VHF license ? It is Illegal to operate a VHF radio without one . My girl is currently doing the coarse .... if she can't give me all the help I need , at least she will know how to call for some !!!!!!! JIMMY

[charleville]

What would happen If something bad went wrong on the water???? i.e heart attack, stroke ect.

I have already told my wife that I would like my ashes to go into that nice quiet little cemetary near Wynnum, facing the ocean.

Seriously though, I carry basic first aid gear on board but you are talking about something more serious than that, my response would be to use my radio to send out one of the signals mentioned elsewhere in this post.

The newsletter that I receive from the Jacobs Well VMR once or twice each year is quite interesting insofar as each of their VMR sub-groups, shifts or whatever the proper group title should be, proudly lists their rescue activities for the period being reported on. These guys seem to train well and as their whole existence is buoyed by how well they respond to all sorts of emergencies, I would have no worries about seeking their help, even if just to get their advice on what I should do.