[Closed] Would you jump in?

100% without a doubt.

DrP - competitive swimmer and water polo player, and wannabe baby rescuer..

Like to think I would. Worry I probably wouldn't.

...after all. Who's going to replace my now water damaged iPhone? 8)

Id be straight in there.

Does no one remember the Peugeot advert? Heroism = babe magnetism!

For those who doesnt know how to swim at all? Do we get valid excuse not to rescue in the event like this? (Just asking, i would still yell HELP in moment like this though, best i can do)

Probably not, I can't swim.

100% without a doubt.

DrP - competitive swimmer and water polo player, and wannabe baby rescuer..

Not been to Watchet Harbour (Marina makes it sound cleaner) then 😆
Takes a VERY brake man to jump in there.

yes would be straight in and thankful for the extra lard I am carrying at the moment

It's a good thing that the Dock Master was one of the 'older' generation ... if he'd been under 25 he'd have been too busy tweeting about it and filming it all on his iPhone ...

Probably not, I can't swim.

But you'd have something to show ladies..."yeah I jumped in and saved the baby...I can't even swim. Yes, that's right, I'm that awesome".

I'd shove the woman in for being so stupid as to let her push chair be "blown" into the damn water.

It's a good thing that the Dock Master was one of the 'older' generation ... if he'd been under 25 he'd have been too busy tweeting about it and filming it all on his iPhone ...

I remember when this was all fields...

Depends on the 'jump'

Off a tall harbour wall, at half tide, into somewhere I don't know? Not a chance, it'd end in "man breaks legs on shallow rocks/impales self on wreck trying to rescue empty pushchair".

Just about any other situation, probably (and find a ladder/rope to climb down in the other case).

When the report says fisherman, that is the guys occupation right?

If so, that’ll explain it …. Fisherman are nails.

Floaty nails mind

I know I would.. Jumped into many situations in the past without thinking first. I just would.

As a teen, came across a man actually strangling another semi concious man on the floor.. jumped on his back.. saved man!

Bit older.. driving along, came across cottage on fire in countryside.. flames shooting out the chimney.. ran into smoke filled room and pulled old bloke out who was overcome by smoke.

bit older still.. walking down the highstreet carrying my shopping.. a madman had pulled a knife on this other bloke.. dropped shopping and jumped on madmans back.

Walking the dog late at night.. saved a bloke from a sever beating by knocking assailant out. He was massive too!

There are many more..

Frankly.. I'm just ****g stupid.

Frankly.. I'm just ****g stupid.

...and a bit of a Jonah 8)

As a member of the RLSS and a lifesaving teacher, yes, in I go.

*Then give the mother a metaphorical slap for being stupid and not using the brakes on the pushchair. 🙄

Yes - but then whilst I'm not a competitive swimmer as such I did many years ago hold RLSS Distinction (the highest RLSS qualification), so ought to know what I'm doing. I can understand the reluctance of anybody who's even a poor swimmer - one of the important things we were always taught was not to become the second victim (hence you only jump in as a last resort - first you reach, throw etc. - though clearly in this case swimming was the only option). If you are a poor swimmer - and certainly if you're a non-swimmer - then you may well be better to raise the alarm with somebody who is a strong enough swimmer to be able to carry out the rescue successfully.

I'd jump in. I'm a reasonably strong swimmer and at the very least I could keep the little one above water until proper help arrived.

Too many people these days happy to just point and say oooo look isn't that parent silly for not watching etc

I'm sure anyone in the aftermath would rather be able to say they helped in some way rather than saying I saw a child drown/get injured.

Not been to Watchet Harbour (Marina makes it sound cleaner) then
Takes a VERY brake man to jump in there.

Hmm.
I've jumped in worse. Very stupidly I larked about in the river Kwai several years ago.
To say it's a very pretty sewer channel is an understatement.

DrP - hopes he doesn't have Hepatitis....

Would you ever be able to forgive yourself if you didn't try?

Too many people these days happy to just point and say oooo look isn't that parent silly for not watching etc

True, but it is also a known psychological phenomenon:

The bystander effect or Genovese syndrome is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present. The probability of help has often appeared to be inversely related to the number of bystanders; in other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. The mere presence of other bystanders greatly decreases intervention. In general, this is believed to happen because as the number of bystanders increases, any given bystander is less likely to notice the situation, interpret the incident as a problem, and less likely to assume responsibility for taking action

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

...and a bit of a Jonah

❓

Not been to Watchet Harbour (Marina makes it sound cleaner) then
Takes a VERY brake man to jump in there.

Are you suggesting water quality issues? Doesn't take a lot of bravery to ignore that in such circumstances - sure you might be ill for a day or so, but just how important is that in the context? The bigger issue might be water temperature at the moment, but from personal experience in such situations you tend not to notice that either.

❓

A "Jonah" is a long-established expression among sailors, meaning a person (either a sailor or a passenger) who is bad luck, which is based on the Biblical prophet Jonah . The comic character Jonah's name is a direct reference to the long established sailor's superstition.

- [url= http://tinyurl.com/a5duksy ]Source[/url]

For a person yes, but not for a pet.

McHamish - Member
"Probably not, I can't swim."
But you'd have something to show ladies..."yeah I jumped in and saved the baby...I can't even swim. Yes, that's right, I'm that awesome".

The ladies in the hospital if I was lucky enough to get rescued too? Or the other bodies in the morgue? 😉

For a person yes, but not for a pet.

For a pet is just daft. Plenty of people have died trying to save their pets whilst the pet has saved itself.

I'd jump in, I'm a pretty good swimmer and I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't try. I'm also guessing if it's a marina there shouldn't be any hidden rocks or the like.

Way too much H&S red tape to even consider rescuing the water baby 😉

Yes I would

I dont think your be human if you just watched... i would be in straight away.

like someone said about filming on an iphone or something. if i saw that i would throw that **** in and see how they like it..

i'm only 26 and i like to believe i have old school way of life (if you know what i mean).

for example that helicopter crash that happened not so long ago.. how many low life got there phone out to film it.. its sick people need to think about how they would feel and not how much they can make from someone else misfortune

sorry for the rant

I must be missing something in that story but why didn't the mother go in after her own child?

I'd be straight in.
Scared the wife once by running towards a burning house to help people get out. Ended up shouting at the owner who was busy trying to get his garden hose working to try and put it out whilst the flames were getting higher. By that time you could hear the fire engines coming.

There's time for thinking and time for doing. That said there's always an automatic calculation of whats "sensible." No point getting involved if you can't help.

I'd have thrown in a pair of pyjama bottoms.

It's a good thing that the Dock Master was one of the 'older' generation ... if he'd been under 25 he'd have been too busy tweeting about it and filming it all on his iPhone .

Programme on telly about the 2009 snow the other day. It was a crap programme, but there was a bit about some teenage girls who were sledging down a hill with a river right at the bottom in a little gorge. One sledged right into the river (of course) dislodged a tree which then fell and pinned her to the river bed *underwater*.

Who leapt in and rescued her within seconds? Two 14 year old boys.

To the OP - I think I probably would have gone in yes. Not afraid of water at all, and I've spent quite a bit of time playing that scenario through in my head after towing my kid along canal towpaths in a bike trailer...

[i]I must be missing something in that story but why didn't the mother go in after her own child?[/i]

See jamie's post regarding The bystander effect or Genovese syndrome.
Or my theory that she was an idiot.

Dunno - I can swim well enough but I am a right bossy cow, so would probably throw somebody else in while I dialled 999 and looked for a life preserver or similar floatation device.

😆 @ psling

Hope I would.
My grandfather dived off the pier into stormy seas in Blackpool to rescue a dog.
He got medals and all sorts of stuff.
I'd like to think I could live up to that.

Missus cycled into the canal once. I fearlessly told her to dive back in and get the bike out or else. This is my most recent act of bravery.

Woman who helped her out of the canal wasn't happy about the order though.

Spent most of my life until moving to the UK in or around the sea and have had to jump in after an inebriated friend several times so would jump in no problem. Water here is bloody freezing though.

Just asking, i would still yell HELP in moment like this though, best i can do

I know this because I pulled someone in trouble out of the surf on a beach once and would never have found them had I not been able to look back at the beach and use the pointers. Surprising how little you have to do to help save a life.

Depends how fit the mother was?

If it was an educated fit young lady of breeding then I'd be straight in. If it was some oiky lass then I'd probably just hold her can of Stella for her whilst she went in.

Having been trained to rescue rubber coated bricks in my youth I'd have been in and had a go at a push chair.

I can't believe that some of you can't swim! How the **** did that happen in this day and age?

I'd jump in, I'm a pretty good swimmer and I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't try. I'm also guessing if it's a marina there shouldn't be any hidden rocks or the like.

The photo on the news shoed an old skool granite harbour wall about 20ft tall. Plenty of harbours dry out at low tide. Hence my comment that I'd go in, but only jump if I knew what was under the water (i.e. a lot more water).

honestly I dunno, couldn't say one way or the other until it actually happen. Would like to think I would though.

DezB - Member

I'd shove the woman in for being so stupid as to let her push chair be "blown" into the damn water.

I'd have to fill out the correct risk assessment paperwork first; disciplined admin is the key to effective bravery.

Like to think so (more so as a Dad) but don't really want to find out.
Thought about bagsying elzorillo as my bessie mate but then thinking he doesn't seem that lucky to be around! 😉 On a serious note congrats to all those who have done brave deeds!

yep would jump in no problems (not bad for an H&S professional 😉 )

We were there last year, wouldn't have fancied piling into that water on a January day!

I guess I'd do whatever seemed smartest at the time- jump right in if it didn't seem like that'd just lead to 2 people needing rescued, seek lifesaving equipment or a ladder or such if that seemed like a better approach. Diving in and knocking yourself for 6 doesn't help anyone.

What was the mum doing?

I'd be the chap that lifts Bullhearts paperweight, sending all his assesment forms fluttering away. This assumes there happens to be a desk handy, with a correctly adjusted chair.
Then I'd be in, like Kev Kostner in Waterworld meets the Man from Atlantis.

I live pretty close to Watchet and have been there a few times. The tide can be pretty bad around there but I would have been straight in (although this doesn't stop the teens messing around in the water in the summer months). There are a few ladders into the water there so diving in wouldn't have been necessary. But brrrrr that water would leave you diving back in once you saved the baby to find your man bits!

Probably not. I'm a rubbish swimmer, and if the mother isn't going to risk it, I sure as hell won't. Obviously TuckerUK's caveat would have to be taken into consideration. If I could find a tender, or lifebuoy then I might have a punt.

I'd like to think I would and I also have to say I'd drown the bloody Mrs if she had just stood around screaming for five mins whilst our son was bobbing around in the water!!

I'd like to think I would

I probably would have stayed on the quay and knocked the living crap out the stupid dad for letting it happen. Wtf was he doing walking about there in a storm with a pram.

Some people really need there heads examined.

I like to think I would, although as above, why was the guy pushing his kid along a pier in a storm?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-21267100

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-21266662

Of course I would, I am an internet hero.

The dad was a couple of years above me at school, his brother was one of my best mates.

Turns out that the tide was in luckily, it's a flippin long way down when the tides out at Watchet (some of the biggest tides in the world).

I would not because I can't swim very well so you might be collecting two bodies instead ...

Hareydan - Member
The dad was a couple of years above me at school, his brother was one of my best mates.

Great you might want to give him a phone and ask what the **** he was doing walking along there during a storm with a baby.

Just be nice to know thanks.

What un-spoon said, I wouldn't jump in. There are normally ladders set into dock walls at intervals. I'd go down one of them. And I'd have to hope no-one would knock me out with an accurately-thrown lifebelt.

Probably not, I can't swim.

The ability to possibly be able to one day save someone's life is reason enough to learn to swim.

A lot of years ago when i was about 10 or 11 i was on a boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads with my parents.
A boat was moored in front of us and as we got closer a young guy walking on the deck slipped off and went into the water.
I ran to the front of our boat and threw the rope out to the guy,twice,but his back was towards us so never saw it.In a few seconds he was gone.
His girlfriend was screaming and a fisherman from a passing boat jumped in but to no avail.
Just before this i was told to always wear the lifevest as the currents were really strong but unfortunately this guy didn't have one on.Neither of my parents could swim and i think at that age with all the panic i never thought of jumping in.

I'd go in but before I'd take a few seconds to:

Watch the swell and refractions to get an idea of depth.

Get enough clothes off to be able to swim efficiently.

Think about the temperature/risk of hydrocution and how long I'd have before being forced to give up and save myself.

Locate an exit point or somewhere to aim for with the victim.

Look for a float, even an empty coke bottle under your shirt makes a rescue easier and anything bigger is a big help.

Then just before jumping spot a few sighting points to go for while swimming to be certain of being on target for the victim.

All that might take 10 to 30 seconds but much improve chances of success and getting out alive. I'm a reasonable swimmer but lack the fat to be a good life saver.

All that might take 10 to 30 seconds

In which time, the baby may well be dead.

I couldn't save even a baby with a coat and shoes on, to save an adult I'd need to be down to a shirt and trousers. How long to strip that far? Try it.

How long does it take to look around for anything that floats? Not long but worth the time lost if you do find something.

How far do you have to swim? The baby was near the quay but sometimes you have to swim a distance. A few seconds on sighting and working out where to get out is worth it. Once in the water you can't see very far at all unless it's a flat calm.

Anyhow that's what I've been taught and the instructors stressed that jumping in without thinking it through and some basic preparation means there are likely to be two people in need of rescue rather than just one.

Great you might want to give him a phone and ask what the **** he was doing walking along there during a storm with a baby.

Anyhow that's what I've been taught and the instructors stressed that jumping in without thinking it through and some basic preparation means there are likely to be two people in need of rescue rather than just one.

We're talking about a real world situation here though, not a hypothetical training scenario. Granted, it would be great to have the luxury of time enough to do everything you spoke of, but the reality is that the actual situation might not afford you that luxury.

We're talking about a real world situation here though, not a hypothetical training scenario

The secret of training is that you don't panic and do all the wrong things in a real world situation. I'm with edu here - as mentioned above I did once hold the top qualification of the RLSS (believe me, that's not all that easy to get) and have been involved in a couple of situations in real life - all too easy to become the second victim, no matter how strong a swimmer you are. Though I'm not sure that coat and shoes off would really take as much as 30s.