New Policy after Safety Crews watch Man die in SF Bay

[Rockstar]

Originally Posted by Growler

There is no greater danger to a rescuer than to go into cold water, unprepared, with inadequate or nonexistent training, to face someone who, potentially, doesn't want to be rescued. You end up with dead rescuers that way.

The policy should be rewritten, and the training provided. For LEOs and Firefighters in the Bay Area to NOT have water-borne training is absurd.

That said, I would imagine someone should have thought of notifying the Coast Guard, or perhaps Alameda/SF Fire Department fireboats? I wonder if that happened, and if the boat crews have water-rescue training.

When I was in we were very well equipped and trained. But a rescue can only be effective if the person in the water really wants to be rescued. Suicidal maniacs are another story. I would be very careful before passing judgement on the F.D. until we know what if anything was said by the man in the water.

I went out on a case where a man swimming around the jetties was claiming to be suicidal. He also threatened anyone if they came close to him. Because of his words we didn't think it wise to jeopardize the rescue swimmer's life. We just kept talking to the suicidal swimmer until he tired. At which time we made the determination we could approach him without danger to ourselves. We went in and hauled his stupid arse on deck, one ounce of resistance was met with a well placed knee and pressure point. Three of us piled on top of him and hand cuffed him so he couldn't hurt himself or us.

As for real water rescue's where people are needing real help in the worst way. There wasn't one of who wouldn't risk his or her life for another. But this nut asked for it, he didn't care about his life it stands to reason he wouldn't care about the rescuers either so nobody wanted to go in and nobody expected us too.



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[Growler]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

I would be very careful before passing judgement on the F.D. until we know what if anything was said by the man in the water.

Sorry that my post read that way; it was certainly NOT my intentional to sound judgmental of those guys at all. On the contrary, I was trying (and evidently failed) to show support for their decision NOT to intervene, while questioning the decisions of the lace-panty-crowd that left the guys on the ground no other safe option.