Yesterday I listened on Channel 16 to the Mobile Alabama USCG, handling a "Collapsed Man on Board" response. Although I could not hear the voice of the vessel, I did get their DSC distress ALERT and MMSI number.
The USCG did great!!!
The victim was unconscious, but alive when the USCG "Asset" arrived and rescued.
He was on a 100' working shrimp boat of the "Forrest Gump's Infamy" harbor of
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayou_La_Batre,_Alabama
USCG did...
1) ID the emergency situation
2) Position and boat description.
3) Crew Adult/Children count.
4) Victim status.. pulse, eye dilation response, etc.
5) CPR administation instructions
6) A well timed multi-speed and position to vector a response "asset" to intercept the vessel.
7) Gave them calm and ETA of the "asset".
8) Later a final call on 16 to tell all bystanders, the termination of distress and positive outcome.
My Curiosity...
They asked the Captain (BTW the USCG addressed the caller as CAPTAIN the entire time, size of vessel still unknown), if he had pressed his "SOS" button.
My Icom M504 FM with DSC and registered MMSI# went into ALARM mode that neighboring boats could have heard. My alarm went off within 2 minutes of the call, gave me their MMSI number (which I later ID'd as the correct boat on-line, I now know the Icom ID's it too on the hand held display).
I suspect USCG wanted to make "Double" sure there was just a single incident.
But...
I thought MMSI was a USCG database.
Well Done USCG!!
Jim...
PS: The boat Captain did well also but you could tell the USCG operator had to gently calm him.
The USCG did great!!!
The victim was unconscious, but alive when the USCG "Asset" arrived and rescued.
He was on a 100' working shrimp boat of the "Forrest Gump's Infamy" harbor of
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayou_La_Batre,_Alabama
USCG did...
1) ID the emergency situation
2) Position and boat description.
3) Crew Adult/Children count.
4) Victim status.. pulse, eye dilation response, etc.
5) CPR administation instructions
6) A well timed multi-speed and position to vector a response "asset" to intercept the vessel.
7) Gave them calm and ETA of the "asset".
8) Later a final call on 16 to tell all bystanders, the termination of distress and positive outcome.
My Curiosity...
They asked the Captain (BTW the USCG addressed the caller as CAPTAIN the entire time, size of vessel still unknown), if he had pressed his "SOS" button.
My Icom M504 FM with DSC and registered MMSI# went into ALARM mode that neighboring boats could have heard. My alarm went off within 2 minutes of the call, gave me their MMSI number (which I later ID'd as the correct boat on-line, I now know the Icom ID's it too on the hand held display).
I suspect USCG wanted to make "Double" sure there was just a single incident.
But...
I thought MMSI was a USCG database.
Well Done USCG!!
Jim...
PS: The boat Captain did well also but you could tell the USCG operator had to gently calm him.