Safe at Sea: Avoiding a trip to the ER
The America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva hosts a monthly dinner meeting with a guest speaker. May’s speaker was club member Dr. Carl Schultz, whose medical career was spent as an ER physician, and his presentation was “A Spill … A Slip = An ER Trip.” Schultz answered the question, “What is the most likely reason your boating day will end up with you or a crew member in the ER?”
According to data from DAN Boater, the top causes of boating accidents are the following:
– Boat operator inattention
– Improper lookout (certainly a variant form of inattention)
– Operator inexperience
– Mechanical failure
The top causes of boating fatalities: alcohol, followed by hazardous waters — likely conditions on the water — operator inexperience, operator inattention, and weather.
Of the accidents resulting in an ER visit, 60 percent were wounds, and 30 percent were orthopedic in nature. Not surprisingly, 66 percent were injuries to the upper body, with finger injuries the most common. Following finger injuries: upper trunk, head/face, and lower trunk or back.
According to Schultz, the most common activities that would land someone in the ER are the following:
– Fishing
– Tubing (Bit of a surprise there, but think of compression injuries to the back.)
– Rope/line injury
– Water skiing
– Swimming
– Knives (which one commonly associates with fishing)
A portion of Schultz’s presentation spoke to danger areas, at the dock and on the boat, though they varied significantly.
On the dock, rope and lines account for the most accidents, and that was followed by cleats and nails. Schult’z admonition: Wear shoes; always, wear shoes! Then it was anchors (head injuries), boat lifts, and the last was barnacles. On the Boat, the No. 1 cause of ER accidents stem from fuel, then propane, electrical mishaps and mechanical mishaps. (Extreme caution whenever using the windlass!)
Particularly pertinent to Southwest Florida: Injuries due to barnacles. (Repeat, always wear shoes!) Barnacles are like a cluster of broken razor blades, and they carry lots of bacteria and foreign material into the wounds. These wounds must be scrubbed clean or they will never heal properly. This really needs to be done under local anesthesia at the ER.
Schultz’s talk was insightful and delightful, as only an ER physician could present. His great humor, but “painful” experiences in the hospital reminded us all of how diligent everyone must be to keep “Safe at Sea.”
Pat Schmidt is a member of America’s Boating Club of Sanibel-Captiva. For more about the chapter and its boating education courses, visit www.sancapboating.club or contact education@sanibelcaptivasps.org or 612-987-2125.