Crewman rescued from icy waters

Crew of Balder receives US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal

US Sailing recently awarded its Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal to the crew of Balder for their quick response to rescue a fellow crew member. The rescue took place during the McAllister Creek Regatta in January 2004, hosted by the South Sound Sailing Society in Olympia, Wash., in Puget Sound.

During the regatta, as the Ericson 38-200 Balder skippered by John DeMeyer was getting ready to jibe, crew-member Tom Droescher was hit by the boat's boom when changing directions, flinging him into the icy waters of the Puget Sound and leaving him unconscious. He was not wearing a personal floating device (PFD). Luckily, the layers of his clothing trapped air and held him afloat, temporarily giving his fellow crew members time to react.

The crew on Balder responded quickly and turned the boat to pick up the victim. When the boat came within rescuing distance, Droescher regained consciousness and was able to respond to commands from the crew. After spending up to four minutes in the icy water, he was pulled to safety and the crew assessed his injuries, which included bad bruising to the side of the neck, jaw, and over one eye.

The rescuing crew-members on Balder, which included John DeMeyer, Lynn Price, Dwight Young, Dan Briscoe, Joanne DeMeyer, and Steve Klockow, were recognized with US Sailing's Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal for rescuing their fellow sailor, removing him from the hypothermic waters, and attending to his injuries. The sailors received the medal on June 14, 2005, at the South Sound Sailing Society Annual Meeting at Olympia Yacht Club. The medal was presented by Bruce Campbell, a member of US Sailing's Offshore Committee and past member of US Sailing's Safety at Sea Committee.

The US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal is given to skippers of pleasure boats or race support vessels who affect rescues of victims from the water. The award is made for rescues in U.S. waters, or in races that originate or terminate in a U.S. port. The Rescue Medal has been in existence for 15 years and is administered by US Sailing's Safety at Sea Committee (SASC).

The Rescue Medals recognize exemplary acts of seamanship, but the award process is also a vital part of US Sailing's effort to gain more education about rescues at sea. The data and stories of award nominees are studied carefully by the SASC for the common practices that contribute to, or deter from, the success of a rescue operation.