It’s not only what you 

do, it’s how you do it.

Surviving 

Summer

carefully

;
DECISIONS

RDML Kenneth Norton, Commander, Naval Safety Center

Col Glen Butler, USMC, Deputy Commander

CAPT Richard Jones, USN, Director, Shore and Ground Safety Programs

James Culpepper, Director, Occupational Health and Industrial Safety Programs

Derek Nelson, Head, Communications and Marketing Department

EDITORIAL STAFF

EDITOR Evelyn Odango 

DESIGN AND GRAPHICS Allan Amen

John W. Williams

WEB CONTENT Darlene Savage

EDITORIAL OFFICE

Commander, Naval Safety Center

Attn: Decisions

375 A Street

Norfolk, VA 23511-4399

757-444-3520, ext. 7220 (DSN 564-3520)

Fax: 757-444-6791

Editor’s e-mail: evelyn.odango@navy.mil 

General e-mail: safe-decisions@navy.mil

Shore Mishap Line: 444-3520, ext. 7840/7145

Shore safety e-mail (USN): safe-code40@navy.mil

Shore safety e-mail (USMC): safe-ground@navy.mil

OSH safety e-mail: safe-oshfdbk@navy.mil

SUBMISSIONS 

Submit your stories or news items to: safe-decisions@navy.mil. E-mail letters to: evelyn.

odango@navy.mil or write to: Commander, Naval Safety Center, Attn: Decisions, 375 A 

Street, Norfolk, VA 23511-4399. 

Contents and opinions expressed are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed 

by, the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. Photos 

and artwork are for illustrative purposes only, unless otherwise noted. Reference to 

commercial products or links to non-DoD resources do not imply Department of the 

Navy endorsement. Unless otherwise stated, material in this publication may be reprinted 

without permission; please credit the magazine and author. We reserve the right to edit 

all submissions for clarity and applicability.

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Decisions magazine (ISSN: 2167-2431 / ISSN: 2167-244X) is published twice a 

year: Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter, and distributed to target audiences located at 

shore-based commands, deployed with aircraft squadrons and carrier groups, and DoD 

agencies. Decisions is published by Commander, Naval Safety Center, at 375 A Street, 

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Postmaster: Send address changes to Commander, Naval Safety Center, Attn: 

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The Naval Safety Center Magazine for Shore, Ground and Industrial Operations

Spring-Summer 2014 / Vol. 3, No. 1

NAVAL SAFETY CENTER TECHNICAL ADVISORS

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & INDUSTRIAL SAFETY PROGRAMS

Installations and Industrial Safety Ext. 7845

Steven Geiger, CSP steven.geiger@navy.mil

Safety and Occupational Health Manager

SHORE/GROUND SAFETY PROGRAMS

Training Safety Division Ext. 7841

Capt Andrew Gay andrew.j.gay@navy.mil

Mishap Investigator/Publications Liaison

Traffic and RODS Division Ext. 7842

Michael Borkowski michael.borkowski@navy.mil

Traffic/RODS Specialist (AAA/EVOC)

Bonnie Revell bonnie.revell@navy.mil

Traffic/RODS Specialist (PMV) 

Don Borkoski don.borkoski@navy.mil

Traffic/RODS Specialist (Motorcycle) 

Weapons Systems Safety Division Ext. 7843

Tactical Systems Safety Investigations Ext. 7844

DJRS/Jump Ext. 7744

GySgt Joshua Holcomb joshua.j.holcomb@navy.mil

Motor Transport OPS Chief

To contact a safety analyst by phone, call the main number, 757-444-3520 and dial 

the extension at any time during the greeting. 

MULTIMEDIA RESOURCES

Need material for your next safety standdown 

or holiday safety brief? Browse our collection of 

resources to complement your activities. 

•Posters for download

•Presentations to customize

•Brochures to hand out

•Videos to educate and entertain

http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/pages/media/media.aspx

The Anymouse program provides an outlet for 

safety concerns that have been submitted to the 

chain of command but remain unresolved. You 

can find an icon on the main page of the Safety 

Center’s web site.
COVER PHOTO: Jefferey Easson rides a wave off of Point Mugu during the first Naval Base Ventura County Surf Contest. Easson 

took first place honors in the military division. U.S. Navy photo by MC1 Michael Moriatis

THIS PAGE: David McNiff avoids a puddle during the last stretch of a 23-mile course on the first Hell Fire Fat Tire Bike Race on 

Camp Pendleton. Photo By LCpl Sarah Wolff-Diaz

DECISIONS CONTENTS

Spring-Summer 2014

FEATURES

6 It’s All in the Details

Severity of mishap should not dictate the effort placed 

on investigating and reporting. 

By Steve Geiger

10 Could It Really Be ... Quicksand?

Some events may seem unlikely, but never ignore the 

fact that someone takes the time to notice and report.

By John Mapp

14 Staying Alive to Enjoy the Ride

A close look at one of the leading causes of motor 

vehicle-injuries and fatalies. 

By MCC (SW/AW/EXW) David Rush

19 Life, Future Taken Away

Author has a new perspective on life and social drinking after drunk driver kills friend’s family.

By Richard L. Cruikshank

30 A Group Trip I’ll Never Forget

Former U.S. Marine recalls traumatic outdoor adventure 

that ends tragically. (Anonymous)

DEPARTMENTS

2 Editor’s Note

Summertime means an increase in outdoor activities 

and potential exposure to mishaps and injuries.

18 ORM Playbook: Traffic Safety

Which 5100 instruction do you comply with?

20 Best Practice: Avoiding PT-Related Injuries

Prevent PT-related injuries by following simple steps.

By LCDR William Best

22 Best Practice: Preventing Heat Exhaustion 

Know the signs and symptoms of heat-related injuries.

From MCIWEST-MCB Camp Pendleton

24 Lesson Learned: Situational Awareness

Darkness, haste and complacency don’t mix when 

navigating the shifting shoals of the Outer Banks.

By LCDR Keith Schroeder

28 Takeway: Self-Assessment

Prevent drowning by knowing your strengths and what 

to do if something goes wrong.

By Jeremy Knauff

IN THIS ISSUE

4 Viewpoint:

Who’s Responsible for Managing Risk?

By Joseph Perfetto

26 Water Safety Tips: Are You Next?

From the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
EDITOR’S NOTE

 s the cold air and frozen lakes give way to

 pollen and lawnmower dust, I start thinking

 about summertime activities I could 

 squeeze into my weekends. Living on the

 coastline of Virginia and in proximity 

to the Blue Ridge Mountains, there are so many 

opportunities for being outdoors — from swimming in 

the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean, bike riding at the 

state parks, to cruising the Skyline Drive.

Wherever your job or activities take you this 

summer — stateside or overseas — keep in mind that 

having fun is synonymous with being safe. After all, 

who’s better to tell your adventure story than you? 

This issue is packed with articles that highlight 

safety resources and survival stories. They highlight how 

benign activities in a safe environment can change to a 

dangerous situation in a matter of seconds ... that your 

knowledge and skills can impact your ability to manage 

risks. 

The article on page 6 (“It’s All in the Details”) talks 

about the effort placed on mishap reporting. Speaking 

of which, an unbelievable report detailed on page 10 

(“Could It Really Be ... Quicksand?”) shows that events 

that may seem unlikely shouldn’t be ignored. The 

article on page 14 (“Staying Alive to Enjoy the Ride”) 

talks about training as a critical element in preventing 

motorcycle mishaps and injuries. In the center of this 

issue is a map that shows where motorcycle mishaps are 

happening. 

Since we’re on the subject of motor-vehicle safety, in 

“Life, Future Taken Away” on page 19, the author finds a 

new role as a designated driver after a friend’s tragic loss. 

The survival story on page 30 (“A Group Trip I’ll Never 

Forget”) will make you think twice about heading for 

the outdoors without the proper gear and training.

Last and certainy not least check out the bestpractice tips on preventing PT- and heat-related injuries, 

takeaways on near-drowning, lessons learned on boat 

recreation, and the ORM Playbook for traffic safety. We 

also have some water-safety resources from the Army 

Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard that can make 

your time outdoors more enjoyable.

Let us know how we’re doing or if there’s anything 

else we should be offering; we want your feedback. 

Thank you for sharing your stories and reading our 

articles. 

 Evelyn Odango

 evelyn.odango@navy.mil

2 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS

By Joseph Perfetto

T

he Department of the Navy requires all commands to write up all reportable mishaps. 

In order to report, they must investigate to 

determine what’s happened and how to prevent similar incidents. The Navy and Marine 

Corps instructions explicitly state that a hazard and 

near-miss report is “intended to be submitted when the 

elimination and control of a given hazard has communitywide implication in reducing mishaps.”

Personnel from the Naval Safety Center review all 

Web Enabled Safety System (WESS) and a majority of 

the Enterprise Safety Applications Management System 

(ESAMS) reports. We have learned over time that Navy 

and Marine Corps personnel — military and civilian — know how to get injured but haven’t found too 

many new ways to hurt themselves. This repetition has 

introduced a cookie-cutter way of writing reports. Most 

of the time a generic write up could be used and all that 

would be required is to change the name.

Two words come to mind when trying to figure out 

why this is occurring: supervision and accountability. 

Supervisors own the safety process and employees are 

responsible for the execution. If an employee is not 

performing a defined process properly, everyone should 

stop and ask these questions:

•	 Why was the process not being followed? 

•	 What should be done to ensure the process is 

followed? 

•	 Did the supervisor or another employee witness 

a violation and not correct the action? 

•	 Mishap reports frequently cite complacency as a 

causal factor. But what causes this complacency?

viewpoint 

4 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
The following scenario could easily happen at work 

or home. Put yourself in the place of the supervisor and 

the employee. What would you do?

An employee uses a 6-foot ladder instead of the 

required 8-foot ladder. The employee stands on the 

top rung. (Not authorized.) His justification: “I’m only 

going to do this one time.” A supervisor or another 

employee witnesses the employee not following the 

process; neither says anything. The employee does not 

fall; no injury. 

If an individual accomplishes a task without regard 

to personal safety and does not get injured, the unsafe 

behavior is reinforced and the individual convinces 

himself that this behavior is satisfactory. So he takes 

more risks and increases his chance of a mishap. 

The right thing to do

The supervisor or employee who witnessed the 

violation should have stopped the job on the spot. 

The process should be reviewed and the proper 

ladder brought to the job site. If properly trained, the 

employee using the ladder should have known not to 

stand on the top two rungs. Did the supervisor or other 

employee know? The supervisor should know; the 

other employee may or may not know. 

Direct and indirect costs

If the employee’s lack of accountability caused a 

personal injury, there are usually costs beside the pain 

and suffering of the injured employee. Depending 

on the injury, a trip to the hospital may be required. 

Another employee may have to assist in flagging down 

emergency personnel or drive the injured to the medical facility. Either way the project is stopped. Time is 

lost. 

Bringing the proper ladder into the site from the 

start — or delaying the project until the proper ladder 

arrived — would have reduced the chance of an injury. 

The time lost to retrieve the proper equipment is still 

less than the time lost due to the injury. Applying 

operational risk management (ORM) processes would 

have resulted in the right equipment being available 

when needed resulting in no lost time. 

During this time of fiscal restraint employees may 

sometimes hear “you need to do more with less.” What 

would you sacrifice for less? 

Everyone plays a valuable role

Supervisors should supervise and review processes. 

Employees are responsible for following the rules and 

should be held accountable when they don’t. 

Review processes periodically to ensure they are 

viable. Modify those that are limited or outdated. 

Everyone who sees a safety violation should say 

something. If you think it is unsafe, most likely it is.

When using ORM, ask yourself, “Does the risk 

outweigh the reward?” “Who else should know?” Work 

with the safety officer to submit a hazard report. 

Mr. Perfetto recently served as an occupational health and industrial 

safety specialist at the Naval Safety Center.

 If an individual 

accomplishes a 

task without regard 

to personal safety 

and does not get 

injured, the unsafe 

behavior is reinforced 

and the individual 

convinces himself 

that this behavior is 

satisfactory. 

DECISIONS DECISIONS II Spring-Summer 2014 Spring-Summer 2014 5
It’s All in the Details

Minor or major, mishaps deserve the same attention when reporting

By Steve Geiger

Does it really matter how thoroughly a mishap 

report is written? When it comes to analyzing workrelated or off-duty incidents, the details could make 

a lot of difference in preventing the next mishap. 

I review many reports from both the Web 

Enabled Safety System (WESS) and the Enterprise 

Safety Applications Management System 

(ESAMS). The one common theme in the majority 

of these reports is the lack of investigative rigor. 

Writing these reports is actually governed by 

a couple of instructions, so it’s really not optional. 

The Navy Safety and Occupational Health Program 

Manual (OPNAVINST 5100.23G) states in chapter 

14, section 1403: “Shore regions and activities shall 

conduct a safety investigation of every mishap, 

major or minor, and handle the investigation as 

a search for facts as outlined in reference /MCO 

P5102.1B.” Reference 14-2 is OPNAVINST 

5102.1D (Mishap Safety Investigation and Reporting 

Manual). 

To illustrate my point, read the two reports 

starting on the next page. Both were pulled 

from WESS, but they were originally submitted 

using ESAMS. They show how we sometimes 

let the severity of a mishap drive the rigor of our 

investigation. 

The first sample illustrates the minimal effort 

placed on the reporting of this minor mishap. 

The second sample goes into extensive details 

that include analysis, findings, corrective actions, 

training, and recommendations.

Minor mishaps many times have the same 

causal factors as more severe mishaps. If more 

effort is placed on in-depth analysis, perhaps there 

could be more focus on correcting the hazards and 

conditions that could lead to mishaps.

Mr. Geiger is an occupational health and industrial safety specialist at the Naval Safety Center.

“Shore regions and activities shall conduct a safety investigation of every 

mishap, major or minor, and handle the investigation as a search for facts.”

6 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
Mishap Report #1

Mishap Report #2

UNCLAS FOUO//N05102//

CONSOLIDATED NAVAL MISHAP/HAZARD REPORT

POC: 

MISHAP INVOLVED:

SHORE/GROUND/SHIPYARD

BRIEF SUMMARY: MEMBER SUBJECT TO MINOR ELECTRICAL SHOCK INCIDENT

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. EVENT NUMBER: 

B. LOCAL SERIAL NUMBER: 

C. NARRATIVE: SERVICE MEMBER RECEIVED MINOR ELECTRICAL SHOCK

 (C) NATURE: ELECTRICAL BURNS

(M) INITIAL MEDICAL TREATMENT: NAVAL OR MILITARY BRANCH CLINIC

(N) OFF-SITE TREATMENT AUTHORIZED: NO

(5) CAUSE CODES

(A) CAUSE #1

(1) CAUSE: RELIABILITY OF EQUIPMENT-MANUFACTURING DEFECT

(2) EXPLANATION: MANUFACTURING DEFECT

6. COMMUNITY OF INTEREST:(NONE)

END OF REPORT

UNCLAS FOUO//N05102//

CONSOLIDATED NAVAL MISHAP/HAZARD REPORT

POC: 

MISHAP INVOLVED: SHORE/GROUND/SHIPYARD

BRIEF SUMMARY: WORKER INJURED WHILE DISMOUNTING FORK 

LIFT.

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. EVENT NUMBER: 

B. LOCAL SERIAL NUMBER: 

C. NARRATIVE:

INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS:

THE MISHAP OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 11:45 AM ON 8 

JUL 2013 AT THE FRONT LOADING DOCK. THE MISHAP WORKER 

(MW) WAS ASSISTING PART OF A THREE-MAN CREW ASSIGNED 

TO REMOVE EIGHT PALLETS FROM TWO TRACTOR TRAILERS AND 

STORE THEM IN THE BUILDING SHED. THE MW IS A 27-YEAR 

EXPERIENCED CRANE OPERATOR. HE WAS TASKED TO OPERATE 

THE FORKLIFT TO COMPLETE THE OFF LOAD AND STORAGE. THE 

MW HAD ASSISTED THE TEAM MEMBERS WITHOUT INCIDENT FOR 

ABOUT AN HOUR AND HAD MOVED SIX OF THE EIGHT PALLETS 

WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE MW SET A PALLET ON TO THE LOADING 

DOCK AND STEPPED OUT OF THE FORKLIFT TO RETRIEVE A 

PIECE OF DUNNAGE (4X4 WOODEN BOARDS) FROM THE FORKS OF 

THE LIFT. THE DUNNAGE IS USED TO SUPPORT THE LOAD AND 

PROVIDE BALANCE ON THE CRATES AS THEY ARE LIFTED WITH 

THE FORKLIFT FOR TRANSPORT. THE MW STEPPED OUT OF THE 

FORKLIFT ONTO THE FRONT FENDER IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECOVER 

THE DUNNAGE FOR THE NEXT LIFT. AS HE STEPPED UP FROM 

THE WALKING PLATFORM ON THE FORKLIFT DRIVER SIDE ONTO 

THE FENDER TO RETRIEVE THE DUNNAGE, THE SHOESTRING ON 

Continued next page.

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 7
HIS LEFT BOOT CAUGHT ON SOMETHING. HE LOST HIS 

BALANCE AND FELL. THE MW FELL APPROXIMATELY 

FOUR FEET TO THE GROUND FROM THE FRONT OF THE 

FORKLIFT ONTO THE GROUND BETWEEN THE LEFT 

FRONT FORKLIFT WHEEL AND THE FRONT SIDE OF 

THE LOADING DOCK. THE FALL FROM THE FORKLIFT 

RESULTED IN INJURIES CONSISTING OF A CUT ON 

HIS RIGHT LITTLE FINGER (NO STITCHES REQUIRED) 

AND A LIGAMENT STRAIN TO HIS LEFT KNEE. THE MW 

REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO HIS SUPERVISOR AND 

WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL BRANCH MEDICAL CLINIC 

FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT...

FINDINGS OF OTHER SIGNIFICANCE:

1. THE MW HAS COMPLETED ALL REQUIRED 

SAFETY TRAINING, AND ALL DOCUMENTATION 

WAS CURRENT AT THE TIME OF THE INJURY.

2. THE FORKLIFT WAS IN TOTAL SERVICEABLE 

CONDITION AS IT IS NEWLY PURCHASED 

EQUIPMENT.

3. THE ASSIGNED WORK CREW AND THE MW 

WERE NOT UNDER ANY TIME CONSTRAINTS TO 

ACCOMPLISH THE TASK.

4. THE TASK’S RISKS WERE ANALYZED; 

HOWEVER THE MW’S SUPERVISOR DID NOT VISIT 

THE WORKSITE PRIOR TO THE MISHAP. THE 

CREW WAS ONLY ON SITE FOR AN HOUR.

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS:

THE SUPERVISOR REVIEWED THE CIRCUMSTANCES 

OF THIS MISHAP, OPERATIONAL RISK 

MANAGEMENT (ORM) PRINCIPLES, AND 

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WITH WORK CENTER 

EMPLOYEES.

RELATIVE TRAINING RECEIVED BY EMPLOYEE:

MONTHLY SAFETY TALKS – RECEIVED 7/25/2013

PPE JOB-SPECIFIC USAGE (OJT BY 

SUPERVISOR) 7/3/2013

INDIVIDUAL-MANAGING YOUR RISK 4/10/2013

SAFETY STANDDOWN 3/20/2013

ORM TRAINING 7/2/2012

ORM (OJT BY SUPERVISOR) 5/23/2012

NAVY FALL PROTECTION AWARENESS TRAINING 

FOR END USERS WORKING AT HEIGHTS, AND 

SUPERVISORS OF END USERS 6/14/2012

SLIPS, TRIPS AND FALLS (OJT BY 

SUPERVISOR) 4/9/2010

FALL PROTECTION - ANNUAL (OJT BY 

SUPERVISOR) 11/10/2009

SAFETY ORIENTATION TRAINING FOR EMPLOYEES 

(INDUSTRIAL) 5/2/2007

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. ORM IS A PRINCIPAL PART OF ANY 

SUCCESSFUL TASK AND ALL MATTERS 

ASSOCIATED WITH THE TASK MUST BE TAKEN 

INTO ACCOUNT TO PROTECT THE WORKERS AND 

JOB SITE.

2. A THOROUGH ASSESSMENT OF EACH TASK 

MUST BE CONDUCTED PRIOR TO A JOB 

REQUIRING MATERIAL EQUIPMENT HANDLING. 

PRECAUTIONS MUST BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT 

NO UNNECESSARY EXPOSURE TO HAZARDS, 

PARTICULARLY FALLS FROM ELEVATED 

UNPROTECTED HEIGHTS, ARE OVERLOOKED.

3. RECOMMEND WHEN SIMILAR OFFLOADING 

TASKS ARE ASSIGNED IN THE FUTURE, 

INCORPORATE A PROCESS IN THE PROCEDURE 

THAT REQUIRES ONE OF THE OTHER TWO 

WORKERS TO ACT AS THE EXTRACTOR OF 

THE DUNNAGE ONCE THE FORK LIFT AND 

MATERIAL HAVE BEEN PLACED AS NEEDED THUS 

ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR THE FORKLIFT 

OPERATOR TO EXIT THE CAB TO PULL DUNNAGE.

8 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS

By John Mapp

One wet and windy day in October, a civilian employee of a Navy activity in Norfolk 

reported to his local safety office that he had 

stepped into quicksand. His right leg was 

wet and covered with sand up to the hip.

The safety office personnel laughed and asked him 

what really happened. He insisted that he had stepped 

into some quicksand and had sunk up to the hip. He 

thought it might be a hazard that should be reported.

“Quicksand? Really? Like in the Tarzan movies?” 

Understandably, the safety folks were still skeptical.

The employee stuck to his story.

Still dubious, the safety team gathered their inspection gear — including a broom handle for probing the 

ground — and followed the employee out into the wilds 

of Naval Station Norfolk. In the container yard west of 

the building, they had to swallow their laughter, because 

there was actual quicksand right where the employee 

said it was.

Apologies ensued, after which safety personnel 

investigated the extent of the hazard. The quicksand was 

confined to the eastern end of a trench, which had been 

cut through the container yard by contractors putting 

in water main pipes. The trench had been filled in after 

the pipe was installed, but a roughly 40-foot-by-3.5-foot 

area at the eastern end was completely unstable.

Yep. Quicksand. Just like in the Tarzan movies.

A safety inspector used a yellow tape to mark off 

a four-foot tag on the broom handle. He then pushed 

effortlessly into the loose soil in the trench; the broom 

handle never reached the bottom.

Quicksand area approximately 

40-feet long x 3.5-feet wide

Construction trench 

cut into asphalt surface

10 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
“Quicksand? Really? 

Like in the Tarzan

movies?”

They now had a dilemma: What to do about a 

quicksand hazard in their AOR (area of responsibility)? 

This sort of thing wasn’t covered in any of the many 

safety courses they had taken. The optimal solution 

would have been to cover the hazard with solid wood or 

metal to prevent anyone from falling — or driving — 

into the quicksand. Unfortunately, there were no handy, 

man-portable objects nearby with which to cover the 

hazard.

Our heroes improvised warning barriers out of 

some large bits of broken pallets, several hundred feet 

of the yellow “Caution” tape, and the remains of a can of 

orange marking paint they found nearby. They notified 

the local Naval Facilities Engineering Command safety 

Close-up of quicksand surface 

near middle of trench. 

Note visible liquifaction.

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 11
Reference image test pole:

Tape at the 4-foot mark.

Testing depth: Note that pole extends 4-foot 

into ground. Pole never touched the bottom.

office and had the contractor responsible for installing 

the water main piping correct the issue in short order.

Subsequent investigation determined that the trench 

in which the water main had been installed under the 

container yard had not been properly backfilled. The 

loose soil under the water pipe had subsided under 

the recent heavy rains, and the unsupported pipe had 

ruptured, allowing water under pressure to flow into the 

soil. Mix upwelling water with loose soil and, voila, you 

get quicksand.

Damages for this near-mishap were limited to the 

employee’s wet pants and shoe, plus the near-terminal 

level of chagrin on the part of the safety personnel who 

had doubted the original report.

Regardless of how unlikely they may seem, it is 

unwise to doubt hazard reports. The safety office didn’t 

believe there was quicksand in the container yard right 

up to the point where they watched their test pole sink 

effortlessly into the goop. To their credit, they acted as 

if the report was true, even though they didn’t believe it. 

But they still have to put up with a lot of “I told you so” 

from the employee who’d reported it.

Mr. Mapp is a safety specialist at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

12 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 13
Staying Alive to Enjoy 

lthough great strides have 

been made in motorcycle safety gear and training 

programs in recent years, Sailors and Marines continue to get injured 

and, in extreme cases, lose their lives while 

riding motorcycles.

Naval Safety Center data shows that motorcycle 

injuries and deaths have decreased in the last five years, 

but there is still room for improvement. 

In 2013, there were 17 Sailor motorcycle fatalities, 

a dramatic decrease from the 33 fatalities in 2008. 

Nonetheless, one fatality is too many according to CDR 

Leo Murphy, Commander, Pacific Fleet safety officer. 

“Even when riders wear the proper safety 

equipment and complete the mandatory training 

and refresher courses, motorcycle riding remains an 

inherently dangerous mode of transportation,” said 

Murphy. “Riding motorcycles is a high-risk activity. 

The risks are inherent to riding and cannot be feasibly 

eliminated. The best preventive measure that a rider 

can take is to increase their riding skill level. That 

is best accomplished through training provided by 

professional instructors. Statistically, there is a direct 

correlation with the training the Navy provides and a 

reduction in motorcycle mishaps.” 

He emphasized the importance of maintaining a 

high level of alertness and proficiency in order to avoid 

becoming a statistic. 

“Riding a motorcycle is not like riding a bike. It is 

better to learn the necessary skills to safely handle a 

motorcycle on a designated road course, than learning 

through ‘trial by fire’ on public streets,” Murphy said. 

“Preventive training pays, especially for inexperienced 

riders who are most at risk during the first year of 

riding. Rider skills training is the best tool we have in 

preventing motorcycle mishaps” 

In addition to increasing the necessary skills needed 

to get safely to and from your destination, being in 

positive control regardless of level of experience and 

type of motorcycle is vital, according to Murphy. 

“First, those who choose to ride must understand 

the risks they are assuming. Once that fact is 

acknowledged, a rider can then develop effective risk 

management practices. Risk management is an essential 

part of safe riding and lessons learned from motorcycle 

mishaps highlight this fact. Riders must recognize their 

skill level and develop a ride plan that limits themselves 

to within their safe operating limits.” 

All Sailors know how to implement operational 

risk management (ORM) to their jobs at sea and shore. 

The same applies to risk management when riding a 

motorcycle. 

“This limit might be daytime group rides only or 

not riding on highways, or some other self-imposed 

limitation on when, where, and how a rider will ride,” 

said Murphy. “Understanding your limitations and 

determining the risks you are willing to accept will 

By MCC (SW/AW/EXW) David Rush

14 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
the Ride define safe riding and should be done before you get 

on a motorcycle. The use of sound risk management 

practices, rider vigilance, and training reduces the 

probability of motorcycle mishaps.”

Even when military personnel receive training, 

obey the rules of the road, and wear PPE, that doesn’t 

necessarily mean that others on the road will have the 

same level of alertness. Everyone behind the wheel of 

motor vehicles needs to pay attention to what’s around 

them. 

“In Hawaii we call that ‘Aloha Spirit.’ It’s sharing the 

road, slowing down, and not falling into lazy habits like 

not using turn signals. Recognize that mirrors in a car 

still allow for blind spots and to ensure a space is clear 

best practice is to turn your head and look into the blind 

spot.” 

That doesn’t always happen and it leads to life 

ending consequences. 

“Tragically, two fatal motorcycle mishaps occurred 

when the drivers failed to see and turned into the 

rider. Changing the driving habits of motorists and 

motorcyclists alike will help decrease the number of 

motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists are reminded to 

make sure that they are visible to motorists, and that 

they strictly follow the rules of the road,” said Murphy. 

As for Sailors and Marines who intend on 

riding “two up,” training isn’t just recommended, it’s 

mandatory. 

“Motorcycle riders must complete the two 

mandatory courses within 60 days after declaring intent 

to ride and then complete refresher training every three 

years,” said Murphy. “In fact, COMPACFLT policy 

directs service members who have not completed the 

required training to cease riding until all training is 

completed. Failure to do so is a violation of a general 

order. The training is designed to make you safer; why 

not want that and take advantage of it?” 

CMDCM (SW/AW) Paul Kingsbury, Command 

Master Chief of the Naval Safety Center, echoes 

Murphy’s sentiments. 

“Each mishap has an impact on the Sailor, their 

command and their peers. When a Sailor is involved 

in a serious crash resulting in injury or fatality their 

parents, siblings, spouse, children and other relatives are 

affected,” said Kingsbury. “A deceased Sailor will never 

have to deal with the personal repercussions of their 

death. A Sailor who suffers life-altering injuries puts 

additional burdens of health care and financial loss onto 

those same family members.”

“Also, the Sailor’s command loses an asset, a piece 

of the team, a watchstander, a subject-matter expert, 

an influential leader. In some cases, this gap cannot be 

filled by the command and can result in the department 

or command unable to be fully mission capable,” 

Kingsbury said.

“The loss of a Sailor also means other Sailors have 

to fill that void. Someone has to pick up the duties and 

responsibilities; someone has to stand the extra watch. 

The death or loss of a Sailor also has a psychological 

and emotional impact on the Sailors at the command,” 

Kingsbury added. 

In order to help minimize the possibility of injury, 

Kingsbury emphasizes the need for both beginning and 

experienced riders to take the risks seriously. 

“Riding a motorcycle has unique risks. Although 

PPE does provide some amount of protection, the 

high speeds, instability and exposure to the open 

environment motorcycle riders are exposed to makes 

the impacts of any crash much more severe.” 

Bottom line according to Kingsbury is that there’s 

nothing better than consistently applying proper 

techniques and lessons learned to enjoy the road safely. 

“Training and experience are the best methods 

of preventing mishaps,” Kingsbury said. “Command 

leadership should ensure that a proactive and healthy 

motorcycle-safety program is in place and that Sailors 

who ride are taking advantage of the training provided 

on our installations world-wide. I would also encourage 

newer riders to ride with more experienced Sailors until 

they have gained the experience they need to reduce the 

hazards of riding.”

MCC Rush is with Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Detachment Hawaii.

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 15
18

2

2

1

1

1

1

3

(as of March 5, 201

Map courtesy of The National Atlas of the 

United States of America® (Modified)

Italy = 

Japan 

FY13/14 Navy/Marine Corps Motorcycle Fatalitie

Register Train Enjoy

16 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
1

3

5

2

1 

3

FY09-FY13 Motorcycle Fatalities

Navy Marine Navy/Marine

FY No. Rate* No. Rate No. Rate

2008 33 9.32 25 12.28 58 10.40

2009 14 3.94 14 06.53 28 4.91

2010 13 3.63 09 04.19 22 3.84

2011 16 4.53 16 07.51 32 5.65

2012 20 5.84 15 07.18 35 6.35

2013 17 5.02 14 06.89 31 5.72

TOTAL 122 5.43 97 07.21 219 6.10

*Rate/100,000 personnel per year

FY14 Motorcycle Fatalites (as of March 5, 2014)

Navy = 11 Marine Corps = 4

14)

2013 Summer Season Fatal Mishaps

May 24 - Sept. 2, 2013

Navy Mishaps

29 Aug PMV-2 (Naples, IT) E-5 died in a motorcycle mishap.

16 Aug PMV-2 (Los Angeles, CA) E-5 died in a motorcycle mishap. 

15 Aug PMV-2 (San Diego, CA) E-5 motorcyclist died as a result of hitting a stopped vehicle on an interstate. 

06 Aug Off-Duty/Rec (Jacksonville, FL) E-4 found deceased in his apartment pool. 

03 Aug PMV-2 (Charleston, SC) E-4 died due to injuries sustained in a single-vehicle motorcycle mishap.

03 Aug PMV-4 (Naples, Italy) E-5 died from injuries sustained in an automobile mishap. 

29 Jul PMV-2 (Jacksonville, FL) E-6 died from injuries in motorcycle accident.

28 Jul Ped (Cadiz, Spain) E-3 died after he stepped onto a highway and was struck by a vehicle. 

13 Jul PMV-4 (Newport News, VA) E-3 rear seat passenger killed in a single-vehicle accident. USAF driver was also killed. 

09 Jul PMV-4 (Crawfordville, GA) E-4 was killed when her vehicle was hit by a train. 

23 Jun Off-Duty/Rec (Appling, GA) O-1 drowned while swimming in a local lake. 

16 Jun PMV-4 (York, AL) Two O-2s were killed and three O-2s were injured when their vehicle collided with a parked vehicle. 

02 Jun PMV-2 (Jacksonville, FL) E-4 died in a single-vehicle motorcycle mishap. 

31 May PMV-4 (Norfolk, VA) E-4 died on 17 June from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle mishap. 

26 May Off-Duty/Rec (Yokosuka, Japan) E-5 died after falling from an apartment balcony. 

Marine Corps Mishaps

02 Sep PMV-2 (Santa Ysabel, CA) E-3 died in a multiple-vehicle motorcycle mishap.

18 Aug PMV-2 (Los Angeles, CA) E-5 died in a motorcycle mishap.

18 Aug PMV-2 (San Diego, CA) E-5 motorcyclist died as a result of hitting a stopped vehicle on an interstate.

10 Aug PMV-2 (Oceanside, CA) E-4 died from injuries after losing control of motorcycle, striking curb and fence post. 

01 Aug PMV-4 (Eden Prairie, MN) E-4 passenger died in a single-vehicle mishap. 

06 Jul Ped (Honolulu, HI) E-3 died after he exited a vehicle on interstate and was struck by another passing vehicle. 

30 Jun PMV-2 (Albany, GA) E-5 killed when his motorcycle struck a tractor trailer. 

29 Jun PMV-4 (Camp Pendleton, CA) E-5 killed after striking a tree stump and a telephone pole. 

16 Jun PMV-4 (Palo Verde, CA) E-4 was killed in a head-on collision. 

26 May Off-Duty/Rec (Wittenberg, MO) E-4 killed in an ATV mishap. 

Legend:

PMV-4: private motor vehicle

PMV-2: motorcycle

Off-Duty/Rec: off-duty/recreation

Note: 

Ped indicates pedestrian or bicyclist 

struck by vehicle. 

= 1

n = 1

Stay up-to-date with mishap data. Visit the Naval Safety Center statistics home page at 

http://www.public.navy.mil/navsafecen/pages/execsummary/mishap_summaries.aspx

s

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 17
OPNAV INSTRUCTION 5100.12J

NAVY TRAFFIC SAFETY PROGRAM

MARINE CORPS ORDER 5100.19F

MARINE CORPS TRAFFIC SAFETY 

PROGRAM (DRIVESAFE)

Owning and operating a car is a big responsibility. Whether you’re 20 or 60, 

driving laws are the same. The Department of the Navy wants you to heed its 

traffic safety regulations. OPNAV Instruction 5100 and Marine Corps Order 5100 

both serve one purpose: to establish policy and guidance for motor vehicle/

motorcycle operators, passengers, bicyclists and pedestrians. 

Sailors face and overcome many hazards as they go about their daily lives. 

One that proves fatal far too often: the roadway. We’ve lost too many Sailors 

as a result of preventable crashes. When you travel, think of where you want 

to be and where your family will want you to be when it is over. Practice risk 

management. Do your part - fill out a risk assessment via TRiPS and have your 

supervisor review it. Once you are aware of driving risks, you can more easily 

manage them. Get started today at https://trips.safety.army.mil/navy/login.aspx.

We’ve listened to your feedback and you will see a whole new TRiPS soon! 

Visit the Naval Safety Center website for updates and look for notices and 

ALSAFE messages this spring.

 

Before you get behind the wheel and head out on the long and winding 

road, remember your driver responsibilities: be a safe driver, and protect your 

passengers and other motorists.

Ready to 

Drive?

18 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
Life, Future

By Richard L. Cruikshank

lthough accident videos warn, “It could happen 

to you,” some people haven’t experienced 

the loss of a friend or a loved one to an 

automobile accident.

I wish I were one of them. 

The event I’m about to share with you shaped my 

habits for the rest of my life and gave me a new sense 

of perspective and appreciation. At the time, it seemed 

insignificant. The next day, however, after I heard all the 

details and had time to reflect, it had a huge impact. 

I had rushed to the emergency room with my 

pregnant wife, who was having serious contractions. In 

the ER, I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in about four 

months. He was sitting in a wheelchair. I quickly asked 

if he was OK as we hurried by. He told me he’d been in 

a car accident but didn’t elaborate. He just gave a small 

smile and congratulated me on the upcoming birth of 

my child.

I was consumed with the events surrounding me, 

and shortly thereafter, was once again the father of a girl. 

At that point, I didn’t realize that as I celebrated this new 

addition to our brood, my friend’s family had just been 

taken away. 

His name was Adai (pronounced ah-day), and he 

was from Haiti. We’d been friends for more than a year. 

He was working hard to become a U.S. citizen, and 

joining the Navy was his path to citizenship. He was a 

proud father and husband. 

When I met him, Adai’s family was living in Haiti. 

Every dollar he earned went to them or to savings to 

help get them to America. He’d started as a deckhand, 

but what he really wanted to be was a Navy corpsman. 

He befriended the ship’s corpsman and volunteered to 

help him in his spare time. Months later, after hundreds 

of hours volunteering, Adai put in paperwork, with a 

recommendation from the ship’s corpsman, to change 

his job classification. Two or three months later, he was 

approved to attend school to become a corpsman. 

Everything for this hardworking man in his mid20s was finally lining up. While in school, he received 

permission for his family to move to America. He also 

became a U.S. citizen. Adai was fulfilling his dream and 

it seemed as if nothing could stop him. 

Immediately after graduating from corpsman school, 

Adai, his seven-month-pregnant wife and seven-yearold daughter got into their vehicle for the 14-hour drive 

home. Adai preferred to drive after dark when there 

was less traffic on the road. They traveled eight hours 

through the night before checking in at a hotel. The next 

night, they resumed their trip. About an hour away from 

their destination, a car crossed the median and struck 

them head on. In an instant, a drunk driver took the 

lives of Adai’s daughter, his wife of almost nine years and 

their unborn child.

To this day, I think about that moment I saw Adai 

in the hospital. Consumed with happiness over the 

impending birth of my daughter, I never considered 

what was going on in the lives of the people around me. 

Then there was Adai, who was struggling with the loss of 

his family. He had to have been full of questions. “Why 

did this happen to me? What will I do?” Still, through all 

of that, he forced a smile and congratulated me on my 

moment of happiness.

Adai deserved so much more, but a bad decision by 

a man on his way home from a bar changed everything. 

This accident was completely preventable.

More than 15 years later, I find myself still asking 

questions. I, too, wonder why this happened to Adai. 

I also wondered why the drunk driver lived but my 

friend’s family died. Sadly, I know Adai will never get the 

answers to those questions.

That day in the emergency room changed my life. 

I soon began training on the hazards of drinking and 

driving. I stopped being an enabler and started offering 

to be a designated driver. No one should have to lose a 

friend or a loved one to a preventable accident. 

Mr. Cruikshank, a retired Sailor, is an occupational safety and health 

specialist for the Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District.

Taken Away

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 19
By LCDR William Best

Physical readiness is more than just being able to pass a fitness test or wearing proper running shoes. 

Each year a significant number of Marines and Sailors get injured or become ill during physical training. 

These medical conditions range from relatively minor issues such as sprained ankles to serious events 

like cardiac arrest and several have resulted in deaths. Preventing these injuries and knowing what to do 

if something goes wrong are key components of physical readiness.

Below are some best practices we’ve collected from actual PT-related mishap investigations. Preparation and knowledge are the keys to safety during physical training. Be ready!

LCDR Best is a mishap investigator in the Shore/Ground Safety Programs Directorate. 

Know your physical limits and speak up if you are not 

feeling well. Hydrate before, during, and after your 

workout. Make sure you are properly dressed and 

equipped for the physical activity in which you are 

participating. Warm up before you exercise. Conduct a 

proper cool down after you exercise.

Know the location of the nearest phone in case you 

need to contact emergency personnel. When commands hold PT at remote locations, event organizers 

should have a cell phone or radio available to contact 

help if needed.

 U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Tim D. Godbee

U.S. Navy photoU.S. Navy photo photo by MCC Jerry Woller

20 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Eric Lockwood

A workout partner can provide encouragement 

and help you seek medical assistance if required.

If you are not qualified in administering 

CPR, consider taking a CPR certification 

class. CPR can mean the difference between 

life and death when waiting for emergency 

medical personnel to arrive.

Review the weather forecast before 

exercising outdoors. Consider moving your 

exercise session indoors if the weather is bad. U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Ace Rheaume

U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Elizabeth Thompson

Experience from PT-related mishaps has taught us 

that first responders aren’t always able to determine 

the location of the casualty - especially if many 

personnel are in the area.

U.S. Navy photo by MC2 John O’Neill

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 21
The Heat is On ...

Heat-related injuries are a significant occupational 

and recreational risk when appropriate preventive 

measures are not factored in. Whether you’re working 

or playing in the heat, you must make risk management 

your first assessment tool to minimize life-threatening 

injuries.

Heat injuries are preventable if you are aware of 

common signs and acute symptoms:

• Dizziness

• Headaches

• Nausea

• Cramps

• Fatigue

• High Body Temperature

• Confusion/Disorientation

• Vomiting

• Convulsions 

• Unresponsiveness

Several factors — when combined with heat — 

can increase the risk for a heat-related injury: climate, 

work intensity and duration of activity. It is important 

to monitor the weather and dress appropriately. Avoid 

overdressing and ensure adequate hydration prior to 

working or playing in the heat.

Prevention of heat injuries includes planning work 

activities, exercise and breaks when exposed to heat for 

long periods of time.

It is also important to remain hydrated by drinking 

adequate amounts of water. If your urine gets dark 

yellow, that is a sign of dehydration and you need to 

start drinking water immediately. Extreme dehydration 

warrants immediate medical attention. Little or no 

urination (or urine that is dark in color) is a sign of 

extreme dehydration, which can lead to you becoming a 

heat casualty and can even lead to death.

Marine Corps Installations Command West-MCB 

Camp Pendleton Order 6200.4 amplifies requirements 

aboard MCB Camp Pendleton relating to operations 

and training. It also includes command requirements for 

flag-warning designators and periodic weather testing.

As summer months approach, California’s beautiful weather begins to produce 

warmer and warmer temperatures. This leads into the most dangerous season of 

the year for both military and civilian members of MCIWEST-MCB Camp Pendleton.

From Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Safety Office

MCIWEST-Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton’s Safety Center 

offers newsletters that are tailored to various summertime activities.

http://www.pendleton.marines.mil/StaffAgencies/SafetyCenter.aspx. 

22 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
If your urine gets dark yellow, 

that is a sign of dehydration 

and you need to start drinking 

water immediately. Extreme 

dehydration warrants immediate 

medical attention. Little or no 

urination (or urine that is dark 

in color) is a sign of extreme 

dehydration.

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 23
lessons learned I SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

By LCDR Keith Schroeder

I

t was the perfect way to kick 

off the summer: spending a 

week in the outer banks of 

North Carolina with my family 

to celebrate my son’s first 

birthday. What was even better 

was that I was taking my boat 

with me to take advantage of 

the outstanding tuna fishing 

off the coast of North Carolina. 

Life jackets: check. 

Emergency signals kit: check. 

First aid kit: check. Charts and 

navigation equipment: check. 

All systems go.

The trip down was uneventful. My dad and I 

pulled into the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center on a sunny 

Saturday afternoon and got the boat settled in to its 

temporary slip until our first fishing trip. Because of 

weather and family events, we planned the first trip for 

Tuesday morning.

Everyone knows that the early bird catches the 

worm; the same holds true for fisherman catching fish. 

We planned to leave the marina at 0530 and follow the 

big charter boats out to the fishing grounds. Sunrise that 

morning would be at 0620, which meant that we would 

be pulling out in the dark. No big deal, right? I had been 

on other boats heading out of the same marina on half 

a dozen other trips with no problems. That had been 

almost two years prior. To mitigate the risk of navigating 

the channel, I would follow one of the locals out. 

0500 Tuesday: My crew and I arrive at the boat right 

on time and get ready for the much anticipated trip. 

After loading up the supplies and checking out the boat 

one last time, we were ready and waiting for the charter 

boats to start heading out.

If you aren’t familiar with Oregon Inlet in North 

Carolina, it is located 70 miles south of Virginia Beach. 

It allows travel between the Intracoastal Waterway 

and the Atlantic Ocean. If you were to locate it on the 

NOAA nautical chart, you might be surprised by the 

fact that there are no aids to navigation depicted to 

define the navigable channel. A closer inspection will 

reveal Note C which states the following, “The aids in 

Oregon Inlet are not charted because they are moved 

frequently. Hydrography in Oregon Inlet is not shown 

due to its continually shifting nature. Shoaler depths can 

be expected off the centerline.” This shifting nature 

24 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
combined with the swift currents and stiff breezes keep 

Oregon Inlet firmly planted in the list of top five most 

dangerous inlets in North America.”

We got underway right at 0530. There is almost 

no light, due to a cloud layer and the fact that the sun 

wouldn’t come up for almost an hour. I fell in behind 

a charter boat and started to follow him out. As we 

cleared the marina, I realized that in addition to the 

buoys not being depicted on the chart, they were unlit. 

With the help of my crew, we sighted the first 

navigation buoy. The guy in front of me was obviously 

more comfortable and slowly pulled away. We passed 

the second buoy, and the distance to my lead was still 

increasing. The guy in front of me started his turn into 

the channel. We passed the third buoy, and I followed 

suit, making a turn to port. In less than one boat 

length, my 8-ton boat came to a complete stop on top 

of a sandy shoal. My crew was launched from their 

seats, and I was thrown forward in to the windscreen. 

Engine alarms sounded as both engines have 

shuddered to a halt due to the props getting bogged 

down in the sand. “What the heck?” I wondered.

We surveyed the scene and assessed the situation. 

No one appeared to be seriously injured, although 

I was bleeding from a cut on my chin. The boat was 

completely stopped and firmly run aground. At least 

we knew we wouldn’t sink. We broke out the first aid kit 

and dressed the cut on my chin.

First light has started to show and we saw what had 

happened. In the dark, I had missed the fourth buoy, 

which marked the real entrance to the channel. I had 

turned approximately 50 feet early and placed us in 

about 6 inches of water.

I called Tow U.S., and three hours later the boat 

was back in her slip and I was headed to the emergency 

room for eight stitches to my chin and lip. I was glad 

that my injury was the worst damage experienced that 

morning.

I can easily see what led to this accident. I’d been 

overconfident in my abilities to safely navigate my boat. 

I tried to run a treacherous inlet for the first time in two 

years in the dark. My desire to get to the fishing grounds 

early drove me to disregard the associated risks and put 

my crew and my boat in danger. No fish is worth that. 

Had I waited 50 more minutes, I would have had the 

light of day on my side and avoided the whole situation.

During the rest of the trip, we made five more passes 

through the inlet, all during the day, with no more 

excitement. All in all, it was a humbling experience that 

reminded me of my own limitations.

LCDR Schroeder is VAW-125’s safety officer.

Photo by David A. Harvey for the National Geographic Society

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 25
As the weather gets warmer, water revelers will head 

out to enjoy swimming, diving, and boating. If you plan 

to be at a beach or lake this summer, take precautions for 

yourself, friends and family so everyone can have a great 

time.

Swimming & Diving

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 

more than 3,400 people in the United States drown each 

year. Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental deaths for persons 1-14 years of age and the sixth 

leading cause for all ages. Most drowning victims had no 

intention of being in the water. It is important that you 

and your family learn to swim well since most people 

drown within 10-30 feet of safety. 

•	 Never rely on toys such as inner tubes and water 

wings to stay afloat.

•	 Don’t overestimate your swimming skills. 

•	 Swim only in designated areas. 

•	 Never swim alone.

•	 Watch small children. CDC data shows an average of more than 800 children under the age of 15 

drown each year. Thousands of others are treated 

in hospitals for submersion accidents, accidents 

which leave children with permanent brain 

damage and respiratory health problems. Children 

have a natural curiosity and attraction to water. 

Remember, it only takes a few seconds for a small 

child to wander away. 

•	 Never dive into lakes and rivers. Every year, diving 

accidents result in thousands of people suffering 

paralyzing spinal cord injuries and many of them 

die before they reach the hospital. Hidden dangers 

lurk beneath the surface of the water, even in shallow water, including current, rocks and debris. 

Boating

•	 Take a safe-boating course. 

•	 Check your boat for all required safety equipment. 

•	 Consider the size of your boat, the number of

 passengers and the amount of extra equipment 

 that will be onboard. Don’t overload the boat. 

•	 If you will be in a power boat, check your electrical system and fuel system for gas fumes. 

•	 Follow the manufacturer’s suggested procedures 

before starting up the engine. 

•	 Wear your life jacket – don’t just carry one on 

board. 

•	 Leave alcohol behind to increase your safety and 

decrease your risk. 

•	 Check the weather forecast. 

•	 File a float plan with a member of your family or 

friend. 

Alcohol

More than half of the people who were injured in a 

boating accident consumed alcohol prior to their accident and 20 percent of them didn’t live to tell about it. 

Being intoxicated is not necessary for alcohol to be a 

threat to your safety. Just one beer will impair your balance, vision, judgment and reaction time, thus making 

you a potential danger to yourself and others. 

Research shows that four hours of boating, exposure 

to noise, vibration, sun glare, and wind produce fatigue 

that makes you act as if you were legally intoxicated. If 

you combine alcohol consumption with this boating 

fatigue condition, it intensifies the effects and increases 

your accident risk.

Water Survival

If you fall in the water, in any season, you need to 

know cold water survival skills. Many of our nation’s 

open waters are mountain fed, and water temperatures 

even in late summer can run low enough to bring on 

hypothermia under certain conditions. 

Boaters should dress for the water temperature, not 

the air temperature. Cold-water immersion causes many 

boating-related fatalities. It follows four stages, starting 

with cold shock, followed by swimming failure, then 

hypothermia, and finally post-rescue collapse. Most 

off duty I WATER SAFETY TIPS

26 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
cold-water drowning fatalities are attributed to the first 

two stages. 

The initial shock of cold water causes involuntary 

gasping making it hard to catch your breath. Many 

people hyperventilate, faint, and drown before they are 

able to calm down their breathing. 

The longer you are exposed to cold water, the more 

you lose the ability to move your extremities. If you 

aren’t been able to get out of the water in 5-15 minutes, 

stop moving. Movement will deplete your energy faster 

and increase heat loss. 

Hypothermia is a condition in which the body loses 

heat faster than it can produce it. Violent shivering 

develops which may give way to confusion and eventually cardiac arrest or unconsciousness. 

•	 Dress warmly with wool clothing. If you’ve fallen 

into the water, don’t discard clothing. Clothing layers help provide some warmth that may 

actually assist you in fighting hypothermia. This 

includes shoes and hats.

•	 Your life jacket will help hold heat into the core 

areas of your body and enable you to easily put 

yourself into the HELP (Heat Escape Lessening 

Posture), which draws your limbs into your body 

and keep armpits and groin areas protected from 

unnecessary exposure (a lot of heat can be lost 

from those areas, as well as the head).

Wear your life jacket – don’t just carry one on board. 

Photo by John W. Williams

Watch small children. Photo by Cpl Ryan Walker Never dive into lakes and rivers. U.S. Navy photo

ONLINE RESOURCES

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Safety Program

http://watersafety.usace.army.mil/AreYouNext.pdf

American Red Cross water-safety tips 

http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/water-safety

Don’t overestimate 

your swimming skills. 

Photo by LCpl Matthew Bragg

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 27
How to Survive a

By Jeremy Knauff

Know the signs.

The first step is realizing the signs before it’s too late. Most people think drowning victims flail their arms, yell for 

help, and then get rescued by a sexy lifeguard running in slow motion to catchy theme music. That only happens in 

the movies or on television. In real life, people usually drown with little or no commotion because they either don’t 

realize or aren’t willing to admit they are in serious trouble. 

Starting off strong, some swimmers venture farther than they should, only to realize they don’t have the energy to 

make it back. Those perfect Olympian strokes quickly become weak and erratic, eventually degrading into a pathetic 

doggie-stroke your toddler would be embarrassed to perform in swim class at the local YMCA. 

Before long, they become winded and lack the energy to stay afloat, which begins a nasty downward spiral: 

weakness leads to slower, shorter strokes, which leads to difficulty breathing, which leads to lactic acid build up, 

which leads to more weakness, which leads to even slower shorter strokes ... you get the idea. By this point, they are 

usually out of breath and unable to call out for help.

hort of being burned alive, I can’t imagine a more terrifying way to 

die than drowning. It is often a shockingly slow process that gives 

you plenty of time to realize exactly what’s happening — something 

I’ve nearly experienced several times.

All of my near-death experiences with drowning were the result 

of exhaustion. One time I bit off more than I could chew and tried 

to swim across a rock quarry. A few other times, ocean currents pulled 

me out to sea and I had to swim harder and longer than I had planned.

As my energy dwindled and muscles cramped, my head slowly crept closer to the surface of 

the water. All it would have taken was one unexpected wave, a bad cramp, or panic to end it all. 

Fortunately, I can usually keep it together so I managed to think my way through the problem. 

You can do the same.

Near 

takeaway I SELF-ASSESSMENT

28 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
Drowning

Photo courtesy of howtosurviveit.com

Roll over and float on your back. 

I’ve been there more than once. It sucks. But there is a solution, and it’s simple.

In this position, your nose and mouth will be high in the water, enabling you to get plenty of 

oxygen, and your muscles will have a chance to rest. If necessary, you can backstroke from this 

position. Since you’ll be using different muscles, you will seem to have a new burst of energy — 

just don’t over do it. You don’t want to find yourself in the same situation again.

Mr. Knauff is a contributor for “How to Survive It,” a blog offering tips on survival, self-reliance, prepping, self-defense, and 

safety. 

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 29
The trek up to the ranger station 

took just over two days. 

Illustration by John W. Williams

30 Spring-Summer 2014 Spring-Summer 2014 II DECISIONS DECISIONS
Anonymous

I

have gone on many adventures — desert, woodland, mountain, sub-arctic, ocean, and whitewater — as an alumnus with an outdoors group 

and as a Boy Scout. I also served 12 years as a 

corpsman with the Marines. 

When I was 18 years old, I had just graduated from high school. My military service would not 

start until Desert Shield/Desert Storm. This particular trip was with an outdoors group on the Boundary 

Waters, a canoeing wilderness. I flew from Chicago 

into Missoula, Montana, where I worked logging for a 

month before setting off on my trip.

The week I was to leave for the trip, I fell ill with 

vomiting, diarrhea and a low-grade fever. Despite this I 

reported to the lodge on schedule. The first three days 

we had various training: canoe handling, portaging, 

mountaineering, and climbing/rappelling. We also had 

to pass physical fitness and swim tests before we could 

go out into the field. I managed all this while still being 

ill and managing to hold down very little that I ate or 

drank. 

I almost didn’t make the trip due to my illness escalating to a cardiac episode brought on by an electrolyte 

imbalance. The instructors now had a decision to make: 

send me home or let me continue on the trip. They 

called my parents in Chicago, and after my talking with 

them assured the instructors I would be okay to press 

on. Reluctantly and with restrictions placed on my level 

of activity, the instructors agreed. After the first week I 

was fully recovered and able to do everything asked of 

me. 

The group trip was to involve canoeing, trail portage, mountaineering, climbing/rappelling, a solo challenge, and a physical fitness challenge. We didn’t plan 

for a tornado, hail/lightning storm, a whitewater rescue 

and extrication of an injured participant. 

In the second week of our trek, we pulled off the 

river at a cliff base where we tied up our canoes. We 

took a short hike to the cliff and drew straws for the 

initial ascensions. Along with a female participant and 

an instructor, I got to go first. Our ascent was relatively easy with no surprises. The surprise came later 

in the day after we had been climbing and rappelling 

for several hours. The sky turned green, hail the size 

of golf balls came down and the lightning rolled in. 

We tied ourselves in, sat on our packs and life vests so 

we weren’t grounded and waited the storm out. It was 

during this storm that — about three miles away — 

we saw a tornado form and blow through the forest in 

under five minutes. To this day it is one of the most awesome sights I have ever seen. 

In our third week while on the river, we encountered level-4 rapids; we were not prepared for them and 

had not been trained to traverse rapids. Because of the 

currents, we could not get off the river. The instructors entered the rapids first and we watched how they 

handled them. The second group followed (including 

our youngest participant, who was 15 years old). While 

traversing the rapids (he was in the duffer position, 

center with no paddle), a pack went over the side of their 

canoe. Our youngster tried to grab it, but between the 

weight of the pack and current, he fell out of the canoe. 

The current carried him a couple hundred feet before he 

was pulled into a tumbling eddy. The current was rolling 

from the river bottom and kept him tumbling against 

the rocks. From several hundred feet away, I could see 

his helmet pop up from the water surface and disappear 

further down the river. He was now being tumbled into 

the rocks with no protection to his head. 

My group paddled hard for the rapids and his location. I had secured a rope to my climbing harness and 

vest. I made certain my helmet was tight to my head and 

chin. I went over the side of our canoe before reaching 

his position and swam hard across the current so that 

I would intercept him. I managed to get a hold of him 

and pull him from the eddy. The rope had been fastened 

to a cross beam in the canoe and then the rear paddler’s 

climbing harness. The paddlers had to make sure that 

they would pass us in the current and not hit us. They 

paddled furiously, and as the current pulled them past 

us the slack in the rope disappeared and we were pulled 

violently ahead. I pulled our victim into my chest and 

held his head above water as best I could; there was an 

avulsion in his scalp, I could see his skull and an impact 

fracture. I’m not sure just how far we were towed by the 

canoe, maybe a couple hundred yards before being able 

to make it to a river bank. 

My injuries consisted of several contusions to my 

legs, ribs and back, but no broken bones. I also had signs 

of early hypothermia. At the river bank we made sure 

to keep our young victim stable and began to splint his 

neck and spine. There didn’t appear to be any broken 

bones in his extremities; however, the head injury was 

now bleeding profusely and brain tissue was visible. Our 

instructors were nowhere to be seen.

Once we had immobilized our victim as best as 

possible, we moved up the bank and began treating for 

shock and hypothermia. We applied bandages to the 

head injury and gingerly fastened them in place. Bruising around the eyes was becoming visible and a trickle 

of blood and clear fluid was running from his nose. He 

went into respiratory arrest. I immediately began 

DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 31
rescue breathing and that is how our instructors found 

us. After several minutes of rescue breathing, he began 

breathing shallowly on his own and I was able to stop. 

His heart rate was slow and irregular. With the instructors’ help, and while the rest of the group kept an eye on 

our victim, we constructed a travois. Having removed 

his wet clothes and after bundling him in sleeping bags, 

we secured him to the travois.

Six of us, including an instructor, chose to head out 

with the travois to a ranger station about 20 miles away. 

Besides the instructors, I was the only certified first aid/

CPR/trauma provider in the group, so I went. The rest 

of the group and another instructor stayed behind at 

the river bed and watched for any help. The trek up to 

the ranger station took just over two days. I can’t say 

with any certainty how many times we had to provide 

CPR and rescue breathing. 

We made it to the ranger station and the victim was 

extricated by helicopter. This event was what made me 

decide to become a corpsman. I developed a love for 

medicine and trauma support. I wish I could say he survived. After emergency surgery, he remained in a coma 

for six weeks and one night suffered multiple cerebral 

hemorrhages. From the trauma he suffered to his head, 

he had developed several aneurysms that all let go at 

the same time. His death was swift and he felt no pain. 

Out of respect for his and his family’s privacy I haven’t 

revealed his name. This was more than 20 years ago, yet I 

can still feel the water, can clearly see his body tumbling 

in the eddy and remember the desperation of the trek to 

the ranger station. I’ll never forget.

This article appeared in Wilderness Survival Stories blog. Reprinted 

by permission, campingsurvival.com.

In our third week while on the river, we 

encountered level-4 rapids; we were not 

prepared for them and had not been trained 

to traverse rapids. 

Photo illustration by John W. Williams

32 Spring-Summer 2014 I DECISIONS
DECISIONS I Spring-Summer 2014 33
Heat Injury Prevention Word Find

Courtesy of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Safety Office

H G E Z U L H S L T S L H Y W

Y H M X A F M E F R I Q R R O

D Q G C H O D J A G X B E A R

R R W S T A K C H T L Y C T K

A X E P U T U T R I S K R I M

T B M T B O C S C G R T E L H

E Y S Q A O R Z T O B G A I T

S E A J L W D E J I P V T M A

R M U O W J O C G H O P I T E

Z L R V T E P B U N R N O X D

G A L F K C A L B E A H N T Q

F A T I G U E T V R H D E S X

R E H M F Z Y E H S P M A R C

O D D C P L N X X E D I A F G

X O A W D T Y Z V Z R M G M Z

BLACKFLAG

CRAMPS

DANGEROUS

DEATH

EXHAUSTION

FATIGUE

HEAT

HYDRATE

LIGHTCOLOR

MILITARY 

PREVENT

RECREATION

REST

RISK

SYMPTOMS

WATER

WEATHER

WORK