Life jackets.

[Dennis McGuckin]

I have just finished the story of 'The sinking of the Lusitania'.I was surprised to learn that a lot of passengers*drowned, due to putting their life jackets on upside down. Apparently, this caused their heads*to be under water, and their legs on the surface.Not sure if that is possible.Regardless, during my time at sea in the 50s and 60s, every ship I was on had the old cork jackets. You couldn't put them on the wrong way.Question. What was the design of the life jackets during*WW1?Also, when were the cork ones done away with?

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Den
There were in fact three different types used on that Ship, so here is a Photo of them possibly you can work out why the Tragedy!??
Cheers

Life Jackets.JPG

Lusitania Life Jacket to Go on Display at New European Union Museum | The Unseen Lusitania (wordpress.com)

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Den
I think they found that if you jumped from a height without holding down the top you could break your neck.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

There was a time when on every cruise all passengers had to attend boat drill.
Not any more, all you have to do is view the drill on your cabin TV.
Apparently there is the system where by they can tell if you have not done so and you can be put off before the ship sails.

But at one drill some years back the guy doing some of the instructing was not a deck officer, just another crew member from the hospitality section.

There he was telling them to put the jacket on and jump into the sea.

When I pointed out to him that by doing so from any deck above sea level it is possible to break your neck when hitting the water he appeared a little suprised.
He spoke with me after and I explained my background, then suggested he read up about them.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Hi Den
I think they found that if you jumped from a height without holding down the top you could break your neck.
Des

Charles Herbert Lightoller, DSC & Bar, RD, RNR (30 March 1874 – 8 December 1952) was a British merchant seaman and naval officer. He was the second officer on board the RMS Titanic and the most senior member of the crew to survive the Titanic disaster

Seeing crowds of people run away from the rising water, Lightoller realized it would be a futile move to head aft and dived into the water from the roof of the officers' quarters. Lightoller described the shock of the water as being like "a thousand knives being driven into one’s body".

Keith.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Den
There were in fact three different types used on that Ship, so here is a Photo of them possibly you can work out why the Tragedy!??
Cheers

Style number 2 would be the one to take your head off, if you wore it jumping from any height, very similar to the ones we had in the 50's and even 60's, alright if you were in a lifeboat being lowered, but wearing them jumping in was dangerous, tie them tightly round the waist and pull the neck band down with both hands as you jumped in feet first, a lot preferred to jump in just holding them and put them on when in the briny, unless the weather was really crap, then your prospects weren't too good anyway.

[j.sabourn]

If anyone wants to know what jumping into the sea ftom a great height they should ask a few who did a jump of 200 feet at the Piper Alpha in 1988. And survived. It was bad enough watching them do this , so I wouldn’t be so presumptuous to ask them , as would reignite old nightmares . One body hit the water 15 feet approx off the starboard side of the wheelhouse , he was a big man and just crumpled up on impact he hit the water and stayed there , didn’t even go under , maybe he might have survived if he had hit a gas pocket , as I was trying to keep away from any areas that resembled such and if he was jumping at the ship as a target I wouldn’t know , but whatever were the choices there were only 2 and harsh as it may sound it was fly or fry. A ships freeboard was nothing compared to the height of offshore platforms. JS

[Louis the fly]

When I was doing a sea survival course for the North Sea I had to walk off a high diving board (not jump) fully clothed. The instruction was to cross your arms with one one hand pulling down on the lifejacket the other hand pinching your nose. As Ivan said if doing this wearing the old cork lifejackets the force of water would break your neck.

[j.sabourn]

That was the easy part Louis the hard part was getting into the liferaft unaided, I always required unceremonius help there. The same as getting into a FRC , and as always say lifesaving requires manpower and if the Piper Alpha does not show this in its true light , then all the other safety bullshit is just that the best word for it. JS.

[Louis the fly]

That was another part of the course John. The life raft was upended you had to swim to it, pull yourself up by the grablines, stand on one side, pull back on the raft to right it, then climb inside. Very difficult with water soaked clothes, my hands were burned by the grablines, but with all the other course members and instructor watching I didn't want to let myself down.