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Rescued Texas boaters prompt safety concerns
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Deployed RescueStreamer photo coutesy of Dr. Robt. Yonover
It’s unlikely there is a recreational boater anywhere who couldn’t relate in some way to the recent story of the three Texas boaters who, after a week, were found alive, sitting on top of their capsized catamaran 180 miles from land.
Their rescue came after the Coast Guard had reportedly called off its search after scouring 86,000 square miles of water without finding them.
Such stories, not surprisingly, have particular interest for Hawaii’s boaters as most realize that unlike the Gulf Coast, this island archipelago is situated in the most geographically isolated spot in the Pacific Ocean and hasn’t nearly the amount of air and sea-going traffic that could effect a rescue.
Of course the fact the boaters were not spotted by potential rescuers, even though they reported seeing Coast Guard helicopters and planes fly over them and they set of some flares, points to a lack of proper safety devises.
An Emergency Position-Indicating Beacon, or EPIRB, might be first on the Coast Guard’s approved list, however EPIRBs are often not purchased due to their expense.
There is however, a very inexpensive and simpler devise that has been developed here in Hawaii by geo-chemist Dr. Robert Yonover called the RescueStreamer, which is also Coast Guard approved and would have likely brought about a much faster rescue.
The RescueStreamer is actually more than one product, but the simplest and most convenient type is a roll of plastic about the size of a small flashlight and can be carried in a web holster on your belt.
When emergency attention is needed, a bright orange, 6-inch-wide streamer can be unfurled to a length of 25 feet, where it will float on the surface of the water indefinitely.
It also can be deployed on land or snow, making it useful in nearly every hazardous situation. And unlike smoke flares or dye markers, the streamer never dissipates, and unlike radios and cell phones, it doesn’t require batteries.
The RescueStreamer technology has been thoroughly tested by the U.S. military and has been approved for procurement and use by all branches. Perhaps it’s time RescueStreamers should be required on every vessel that leaves the dock.
RescueStreamer viewed from 500 feet - Photo courtesy of Dr. Robt. Yonover
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