How to submarine a rescue airboat.

[bigkavr]

How does one submarine a rescue airboat? Well, let me expound on some of the simpler ways. But first, take a look at the video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwMmBPq-wYs

1. Have NO formal airboat training. I'm not talking about anything advanced, I mean just simple Basic Airboat Operations class.
2. Place large individuals on the bow or forward too far while traveling way above idle speed.
3. Don't worry about your operational area. (i.e. traversing from skinny to deep water, etc...)
4. Operate a rescue airboat without a rescue rake on it.
5. And last, but not least, don't worry when water starts to come over the bow. Keep the power on, it'll work out..

OK, I've been fairly nice about this little incident, but damn it, this video shows an incident that NEVER should have happened !!

I've said this to numerous factories for years, but alas, to no avail. "No rescue airboat should ever leave the factory without at least a 18" rescue rake on it"

And the worst part of this is that it happened less than 3 hours from my house. Maybe this will be the wakeup call for fire depts. to realize they CAN'T
spend 50 to 100K (or more) for a rescue airboat, and then skimp (or skip completely) formal airboat training. And before anyone asks, the "training" that the factories provide would have done nothing to help prevent this incident. The operator was clueless, totally clueless !!

I try, I really do, but even when I offer to do training classes to fire departments for FREE, they don't see the need. They feel that they got enough training from the factories when they picked up their new toy... Hmmm, wonder if that'll finely change ......... Very, very frustrating...

OK, done ranting, resume with you're normal programing...
B.

[glades cat]

Yep, that's a recipe for disaster. It's embarrassing when it's your job and you're expected to be skilled and proficient.
It requires proper tools and proper training to complete the task. Tools without training are merely toys.
There are some tragic videos of rescuers attempting swift-water recoveries at low-head dams…pretty sad also.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW65pWAjDgo

[Deano]

That's absolutely incredible !

Glad they didn't end up adding to the body count, they were surely lucky.
Wearing the proper PFDs and not clearing the hull when it goes over could never be
a good thing, especially with that kind of a current. Never mind the prop and it's potential.

This is a good example (if not the best) of when the adage "When in doubt, power out" does NOT apply.

If there is any other bright side to that I guess it would be that you (and others) can
now use that clip to reiterate how important the training is that they feel like they don't need.

Oh, and don't feel like you were ranting. Venting such frustration may be necessary to keep your head from exploding. Nothing is more difficult or trying than opening the eyes of those who refuse to see.

[Bob in Canada]

Wow !
I've scooped in water coming off some big beaver dams before I put on the solid bow rake . How did this boat go out that bow heavy with out the operator catching the play that it wasn't sitting right in the water before things got that out of hand ?
There must have been some heavy gear up front with the guys sitting there to get it that low in the water .

[SteveReid]

He had to be thinking it would power up on plain, I know the feeling and you have to be fearful of it doing exactly what it did. I have had very heavy loads on my boat and had the instincts not to over power. I picked up pipedog, his wife, another friend plus all their gear at Sawgrass Park going out to Old Glory. I had onboard 120 gallon of gas lots of drinks and other freight up front and I knew darn well what it would do from the feel of powering it, so I took my time until I got in the grass to help left the boat, I gassed on it and it took longer than normal to get on plain, I didn't let up until I got to camp. I have hauled a lot of heavy freight out there. I would never put anything on the front of my boat in swift water.

[HomesteadGator]

I'll bet he had a license to operate that thing too!

[goldhunter_2]

I love how the news keep saying they where "trained" ..............just basic boat commonsense would have helped them allot , it looks like the bow is loaded down and the boat was way overloaded

[kwanjangnihm]

were they dragging for the boy's body and snagged the bottom of the river?

[jopete]

were they dragging for the boy's body and snagged the bottom of the river?

Nope, they just had some slackjaw running the taxpayers airboat and he sank it because he was a dumbazz. there is no other explination.

they will probly have a ceremony giving him a medal for being a "hero'' or some such crap.

stupid capt needs a couple hammer marks on his forehead.

[DuckNutt]

No he was a "well trained dumbazz". Lol

[Bob in Canada]

When I watched it again it looks like they were going down stream . Subtract the speed of the current from the forward motion of the boat that should keep the hull on plane and the operator has the hull settle in on him with out expecting it . He's bow heavy , hits a bit of a wave and next news it's nose dive and he has an extra 1000 pounds plus in an already bow heavy hull .
I haul around a lot of heavy stuff from bull moose , full size snowmobiles to a full set of kitchen cupboards still in the boxes and I still don't really get how you let a boat screw in like that . I'd like it if the camera was at water level or there was an on board camera .
There is something to be learned here .