As I had discussed with Steph, I have never gone into any details about the incident which interferes with my sleep.
Here's how it went down. I figure I can mostly trust you all with this info... and can trust that I won't get too many rotten tomatoes or eggs thrown my way, unless I've earned 'em of course!
neverless, here goes. So this was about 20 or so years ago, my ship was steaming independently in the South China Seas. my captain decides we are going to do the fastest, night time boat launch Operation in the Navy since World War 2! At night! So that is what we set about doing.
sea state was about 4, maybe a 5. We were starting to see white caps, and it was windy, but hardly a gale.
I was, at the time, I was a non rated deck seaman, attempting to strike out of deck division to become a signalman.I was performing the duties to which I was probably most appropriately qualified at the time, which was holding the line from the bow of the motor whale boat that we were launching from the boat pocket. more experienced crew members were aboard the boat (friends of mine, each of 'em) and manning the boat davit. of course we also have both a safety officer, and the chief in charge of deck division on site as well.
It's dark, it's very breezy, the seas are pretty choppy, and the ship was making headway, but we're doing this thing.
So we put the boat over the side, and we go to release her. My buddies are manning the helm, forward and aft boat hooks. (It needs to be said that's launching these old motor whale boats could be difficult - it was amongst the top reasons that the Navy chose to replace them with the newer inflatable design shortly thereafter).
One of my buddies, the Boat Signalman, released the aft hook as the boat hit the water. The ship rolled away and the boat hook caught my friend on the chin. Hook lifted him out the boat, and as the ship took a roll, he hit the deck on the boat. The hook caught him in the chest.
I recall far too much of what ensued, and have replayed these events over the years since. Is there anything I should have done different? Where did we fail my friend?
We scrambled to reattach the motor whale boat, get it back into the ship's davits, get my buddy to sick bay, and begin a series of investigations that would span the next months.
Buddy was flown via chopper to a Brit base in Singapore, died en route.
I recall these events as if they happened last night. call the chief, during the investigations, in the ford please launch, practically squealing that he "should have called a called a safety, should have called a safety!".
As boat crews go, we were not experienced enough with this processed, or even launching the god damn boat in the calm, what would possess the commanding officer to decide that we were up to this monumental task without being brought up to speed the basics?!?
the safety officer, and the Boatswain's Mate chief saw that this was a signal man releasing the aft boat hook, not a member of the motor whale boat crew. you do not allow unqualified personnel to assume responsibilities to which they have not had any training. both of these khaki clad nothings should have had the balls to say "stop"!
I grew up in a military family, and as a result have a peculiar, almost reverential appreciation for authority. when you have been granted a given amount of authority, you use it those subordinate to you! these two useless human beings decided to become bystanders. screw 'em both.
I have replayed this event in my mind countless times over the past years. I never discussed it with anybody, outside of the investigation, until my VA group about a month ago. halfway feel, that I was betraying everybody involved I discussed and even then.
however, as a result of that stupid car accident b*******, it's become pretty apparent that if this s*** don't come out, it's going to kill me.
So... you all now have the straight dope on me. let the recriminations begin!
Here's how it went down. I figure I can mostly trust you all with this info... and can trust that I won't get too many rotten tomatoes or eggs thrown my way, unless I've earned 'em of course!
neverless, here goes. So this was about 20 or so years ago, my ship was steaming independently in the South China Seas. my captain decides we are going to do the fastest, night time boat launch Operation in the Navy since World War 2! At night! So that is what we set about doing.
sea state was about 4, maybe a 5. We were starting to see white caps, and it was windy, but hardly a gale.
I was, at the time, I was a non rated deck seaman, attempting to strike out of deck division to become a signalman.I was performing the duties to which I was probably most appropriately qualified at the time, which was holding the line from the bow of the motor whale boat that we were launching from the boat pocket. more experienced crew members were aboard the boat (friends of mine, each of 'em) and manning the boat davit. of course we also have both a safety officer, and the chief in charge of deck division on site as well.
It's dark, it's very breezy, the seas are pretty choppy, and the ship was making headway, but we're doing this thing.
So we put the boat over the side, and we go to release her. My buddies are manning the helm, forward and aft boat hooks. (It needs to be said that's launching these old motor whale boats could be difficult - it was amongst the top reasons that the Navy chose to replace them with the newer inflatable design shortly thereafter).
One of my buddies, the Boat Signalman, released the aft hook as the boat hit the water. The ship rolled away and the boat hook caught my friend on the chin. Hook lifted him out the boat, and as the ship took a roll, he hit the deck on the boat. The hook caught him in the chest.
I recall far too much of what ensued, and have replayed these events over the years since. Is there anything I should have done different? Where did we fail my friend?
We scrambled to reattach the motor whale boat, get it back into the ship's davits, get my buddy to sick bay, and begin a series of investigations that would span the next months.
Buddy was flown via chopper to a Brit base in Singapore, died en route.
I recall these events as if they happened last night. call the chief, during the investigations, in the ford please launch, practically squealing that he "should have called a called a safety, should have called a safety!".
As boat crews go, we were not experienced enough with this processed, or even launching the god damn boat in the calm, what would possess the commanding officer to decide that we were up to this monumental task without being brought up to speed the basics?!?
the safety officer, and the Boatswain's Mate chief saw that this was a signal man releasing the aft boat hook, not a member of the motor whale boat crew. you do not allow unqualified personnel to assume responsibilities to which they have not had any training. both of these khaki clad nothings should have had the balls to say "stop"!
I grew up in a military family, and as a result have a peculiar, almost reverential appreciation for authority. when you have been granted a given amount of authority, you use it those subordinate to you! these two useless human beings decided to become bystanders. screw 'em both.
I have replayed this event in my mind countless times over the past years. I never discussed it with anybody, outside of the investigation, until my VA group about a month ago. halfway feel, that I was betraying everybody involved I discussed and even then.
however, as a result of that stupid car accident b*******, it's become pretty apparent that if this s*** don't come out, it's going to kill me.
So... you all now have the straight dope on me. let the recriminations begin!
