News You May Have Missed

[Khandro]

A German sailor has been rescued off New Zealand's coast after inflating his trousers and using them as a flotation device. Authorities have questioned whether he and his brother were prepared for their journey.

Deutsche Welle

[fiction-factory]

https://www.dw.com/en/german-sailor-saved-off-new-zealand-by-inflating-own-jeans/a-47839944
for the article

[youngmafbog]

This is what one was taught to do in survival training years ago.

[derekpara]

This inflation technique was introduced many years ago by the Amateur Swimming Association as par of its Bronze, Silver and Gold Survival awards. Some of our older ABers may have taken the award.

I taught and examined for the ASA for a long while.

The technique works well in calm water and one inflation would support a swimmer for at least fifteen minutes before re inflation was required. Rough water conditions would make the technique very difficult. Also, some trouser materials worked better than others but tests were normally conducted in pyjamas !

[agchristie]

Well,if it had all gone wrong he could have thrown his flares in the air...

[Togo]

Or rung his bell bottoms AC.

[ichkeria]

Chris Grayling is rumoured to be signing him up as a Brexit ferry ...

[hereIam]

Thought it was 1 April for a mo there !

[david small]

You can also use a Cotten shirt to inflate temporarily.

[New Judge]

"Some of our older ABers may have taken the award..."

Yes I did - all three. The technique (with pyjamas) was to pull the trousers (by the waistband) over your head to inflate them. Worked a treat. After that you had to retrieve a rubber brick from the deep end and swim a certain distance (can't remember how far). You had to complete "circuits" of the pool rather than lengths as you were not permitted to touch the sides.

[derekpara]

Correct, NJ. If I remember correctly, for the Gold award you began the test by jumping into the deep end wearing pyjamas then swimming about 400m in circuits without touching the sides. During that swim you were required to perform two surface dives on each circuit and swim through a hoop suspended about 3ft below the surface. You also had to tread water for several minutes then remove your pyjamas in deep water before inflating the bottoms. It was quite a good test.

[Khandro]

derekpara; //Correct, NJ. If I remember correctly, for the Gold award you began the test by jumping into the deep end wearing pyjamas then swimming about 400m in circuits without touching the sides. During that swim you were required to perform two surface dives on each circuit and swim through a hoop suspended about 3ft below the surface. You also had to tread water for several minutes then remove your pyjamas in deep water before inflating the bottoms. It was quite a good test.//

It makes one proud to be British! :0)

[Peter Pedant]

This is what one was taught to do in survival training years ago.
yeah 1960s - we did in the swimming pool with pajamas,
also the useless holger nielsen and sylvester boche ways of artifical respiration
even tho we were told tha mouth ot mouth was probably better

[derekpara]

Peter: ' ..the useless Holger Neilsen and Sylvester Boche techniques..'
Indeed, I think more innocent ribs were broken using these archaic methods than bear thinking about ? And to think I taught people how to perform them ! Guilty, m'lord !