Subject: Re: T&T: Obligations for Rescue at Sea
My opinion and 2 cents worth.
I have been doing rescue work now for 29 years as a VOLUNTEER and have more
than 640 rescues so far. I have never been sued or held responsible for
anything. We have helped out dingys to 65 footers and commercial shipping,
vessels from Boston, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Caymen Islands, British
Virgin Islands, Australia, Russia, Bemuda, Newfoundland, the Great Lakes up
on the Rideau and Trent Waterway and the Thousand Islands. Rescue work in
Canada from coast to coast to coast, the US, (Florida, Boston, Lake Ontario)
the gulf of Mexico, Dominican Republic and Cuba and probably forgetting some
on the way.
The key thing here is in the assessment of the rescue and the understanding
you have with the owner before you do anything. Make sure they understand
the moves you are about to do and that you are open to helping them and make
sure they understand that you do not want to be sued. In rescue work we are
responsible for safety of lives at sea (Solas) and not the material things
like boats. We will try and bring the vessel back too as it is safer to do
that than trying to switch people from one vessel to the other in a storm.
In Canada the Coast Guard Auxiliary personel have a waiver that the disabled
crew have to agree with before we touch them. When this is done on the
airways with Coast Guard, this is recorded and the recording is kept for
seven years and therefore there is no legal recourse from the disabled
vessel. If I remember correctly we only had to use this waiver on two
occasions when we suspected the crew had been drinking.
If the disabled vessel's crew are ignorant and abusive all you have to do is
wait and stand by and eventually things will turn around and they will
accept you kind help and be appreciative.
Roger Lalonde
Coast Guard Auxiliary
Summerstown, Ontario, Canada.
Subject: Re: T&T: Obligations for Rescue at Sea
My opinion and 2 cents worth.
I have been doing rescue work now for 29 years as a VOLUNTEER and have more
than 640 rescues so far. I have never been sued or held responsible for
anything. We have helped out dingys to 65 footers and commercial shipping,
vessels from Boston, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Caymen Islands, British
Virgin Islands, Australia, Russia, Bemuda, Newfoundland, the Great Lakes up
on the Rideau and Trent Waterway and the Thousand Islands. Rescue work in
Canada from coast to coast to coast, the US, (Florida, Boston, Lake Ontario)
the gulf of Mexico, Dominican Republic and Cuba and probably forgetting some
on the way.
The key thing here is in the assessment of the rescue and the understanding
you have with the owner before you do anything. Make sure they understand
the moves you are about to do and that you are open to helping them and make
sure they understand that you do not want to be sued. In rescue work we are
responsible for safety of lives at sea (Solas) and not the material things
like boats. We will try and bring the vessel back too as it is safer to do
that than trying to switch people from one vessel to the other in a storm.
In Canada the Coast Guard Auxiliary personel have a waiver that the disabled
crew have to agree with before we touch them. When this is done on the
airways with Coast Guard, this is recorded and the recording is kept for
seven years and therefore there is no legal recourse from the disabled
vessel. If I remember correctly we only had to use this waiver on two
occasions when we suspected the crew had been drinking.
If the disabled vessel's crew are ignorant and abusive all you have to do is
wait and stand by and eventually things will turn around and they will
accept you kind help and be appreciative.
Roger Lalonde
Coast Guard Auxiliary
Summerstown, Ontario, Canada.
