All I Know About Safety

The story of Walter Marino and Christopher Marino http://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/autistic-boy-survives-12-hour-ocean-ordeal-despite-the-odds.aspx?googleid=247224 is incredibly inspiring.

The story really encompasses so many safety lessons that I think it would be useful to review.

1. UNKNOWN HAZARDS TO AN INDIVIDUAL – The father took his child to a beach. He had been there many times. He might know of the hazard of rip currents but he did not know of the elevated hazard of rip currents around piers and jetties. http://www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/safety/bchsafe.shtml, “Stay at least 100 feet away from piers and jetties. Rip currents often exist along the side of fixed objects in the water.”

"We were both just sucked out,” Marino told Matt Lauer. “The forces just took us out so
quickly, it totally took me by surprise” he said.

LESSON: Be a student, constantly try to learn new safety tips.

2. HOW YOU REACT TO YOUR ERRORS IS CRUCIAL – When the father and child were swept out to sea, they resisted the temptation to fight the current. This became increasingly difficult as they were swept farther and farther out to sea. But they were in the water respectively approximately 12 and 14 hours. If they had fought the currents, it is likely they would not have survived.
LESSON: WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, DO THE RIGHT THING.

3. THE WILL TO LIVE – INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY AND ITS PSYCHOLOGY – My favorite individual story of survival is the fellow who crashed in the desert and fought his way through heat, thirst and cactus to return safely. When asked what kept him going he replied that he was separated from his wife and the thought of her inheriting everything before his divorce was final kept him going! (SEE NOTE) Here the two individuals gathered strength from each other. Walter Marino would touch his son and communicate to him. The son, who is autistic, shared with father his lack of fear. All the son knew was that he was on an adventure. The two in their own way supported each other.
LESSON: WHEN IN A CRISIS, KEEP A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE

4. NEVER GIVE UP HOPE – Really, it was implausible that the two would survive. What is amazing is that the boat that picked them up was late. The boat had not planned to be there at that time – it was sheer luck that the father was spotted. But that is how survival works. If we keep trying we get lucky.
LESSON: THE HARDER I WORK, THE LUCKIER I GET

5. SURVIVAL IS NOT AN INDIVIDUAL EFFORT, BUT A GROUP EFFORT. After Walter Marino was rescued the team went to work to find his son. The boat had a GPS which allowed them to pinpoint their location (High Tech equipment has a pay-off, always consider spending money on safety) The Coast Guard was ready. Armed with the information about Walter Marino’s location, they went to work. Sometimes we forget just how many people are saved by the professional and heroic efforts of emergency response. As a safety professional, I always want to ensure that emergency response is well-funded.
LESSON: EMERGENCY RESPONSE CHANGES A TRAGEDY INTO A HAPPY ENDING.

NOTE: As I mentioned in my blog entry, http://cptkirkenterprise.blogspot.com/2008/10/in-company-of-heroes.html, I encountered many heroes during my military career. The teller of this tale was Colonel Nick Rowe, a leader, an inspiration, and tragically one who died too soon from an enemy combattant. http://www.psywarrior.com/rowe.html