The Beaulieu River team together with deputy harbour master Adam Lewis, has developed a new design of safety ladder to make rescues from the water safer.
The development came after the team reviewed incidents, procedures, and equipment at Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour and decided that while the provision of emergency ladders exceeded guidelines, improvements could be made to make rescues easier.
“If someone falls in the water, the panic which can follow means that both the person in the water and their friends or partners can struggle to locate installed emergency ladders easily,” explained Adam.
“What we wanted to create was a mobile ladder which we could attach anywhere in the marina and is available for anyone to use.
“I also wanted to make it long enough so they could stand on the bottom rung, without having to bend their legs which makes it as easy as possible to climb out of the water.”
Casualties can climb the ladders with no difficulty, and we can get them out of the water in a short space of time.
Adam Lewis
He added: “Experience has shown that entering cold water has a debilitating effect on strength and flexibility.
“Combine this with an inflated life jacket and it becomes a real struggle to climb some ladders, where you have to get your foot up on to a ladder rung 50cm below the surface of the water.”
The team has developed a 2m long, lightweight ladder with a ribbed stainless steel flat bar on the top to allow it to be hooked over a cleat on a pontoon.
Being hooked over a cleat means anyone needing to be rescued is never more than 4m from where the ladder is hung.
The design means it is also slightly angled when hooked on to a cleat, making it easier to climb.
The ladder has also been fitted with a buoyant Man Over Board sling, which can be clipped around the casualty to keep them safe if a member of staff needs to call for help or alert emergency services.
Adam added: “We have tried and tested our new style of ladders and they are proving very successful. Casualties can climb the ladders with no difficulty, and we can get them out of the water in a short space of time.”
