While out on my regular deployment on board a seismic ship with another RMI medic Michael Dann we found a need for a mannequin to use during medical training. Ordering a commercially designed rescue mannequin was out of the question due to the cost and sheer amount of time it would take to get it delivered to the ship. So, I remembered what I’ve used in the past when I was assigned to an Air Force rescue unit. We had a mannequin made from heavy hemp rope that was bolted together with large metal fasteners. It was virtually indestructible and we could just drop it from the helicopter then practice hoist rescues.

The mannequin is light and easy to place prior to drills. If you’d like to increase the weight of the mannequin for litter bearing drills streamer weights can be easily applied to the arms and legs.

At this point we’ve had occasion to use the mannequin twice during drills. First we had a fire drill with a man down. The fire team was able to locate and evacuate the mannequin while the medical team practiced packaging and litter bearing. Our second drill was solely planned by the medics. Our Chief Engineer had asked me at the beginning of the trip how we would get someone out of a tank if they were injured or unresponsive. Michael and I both had experience in rope rescue techniques so we put on a training session for crew. 

Our first step in putting on this session was to assemble a rescue device to vertically lift our litter out through a hatch. The ship was not equipped with any technical rescue equipment so we searched the decks and storerooms and came up with a system that would be easy to set up and be safe. Since all the equipment is made for towing heavy items through the water it was all rated for loads significantly exceeding our needs. We set up a basic anchor point with a small lifting loop strap normally used with the crane. It was then secured with a threaded carabineer above the hatch where the rope could run through a second carabineer for a change in direction and run to a round post where the rope was wrapped creating a friction brake. With this system in place we could use manpower to safely raise the litter while someone manages the brake. We tested the system and found it to be quick and easy to set up and use.

We then scheduled and ran our training session using an escape hatch rather than a tank for safety. The crew got a chance to participate in rigging and also climbing down the ladder packaging and extricating our mannequin.

After the training Michael and I met with the Chief Officer and Chief Engineer. We decided that when work was being done in an enclosed tank we would be on site. We would also have the rigging in place and ready to make for speedier recovery of an individual in a tank.