see that article, for instance.

In April, a colleague of mine (not really a friend, but someone I worked along for about 10 years and our supplier of Sancerre wine !!) left our company, to undertake a new job, in an african country.

He was on board of this flight (hopefully without his familly, for a first visit to his new working site), when that plane crashed.

He seemed to have been really cool headed : when he realized the plane was going to ditch in water, he removed his shoes and most of his clothing.
When the plane hit the waves and broke in two parts, not far from his seat, he was ready to enter the water.
Hanging on some loose piece, he floated around for about two hours, before being rescued by fishermen, who had seen the crash and came to the rescue.

Lucky guy !


When trying to imagine myself in his place, and re: our gear discussions :
- first, I am more inclined to research the necklace survival kits ; All my own gear is in a waist pouch, on my belt. If I remove my belt to remove pants, I risk to loose the gear if I have no time to put the belt on again. A necklace would still be on me, even in my briefs !
- of the gear I cuttently EDC, I guess only the whistle and the red light (for signaling, if night comes) could be useful in that situation.
- maybe I should add a garbage bag ; did anyone try to use that as an improvised flotation device ?? if one could get enough air trapped in it ... anyway just as an extra, as a PFD is supposed to be present under your seat ....


Any other ideas, along that line of thoughts ?

well what if you had your gear pouch on a seperate belt like a hip sack?

seperate from your pants belt incase you need to take it off.

but i dont understand why he would want to take off his clothes in the event of a crash?

i can see the pants used as a improvised life jacket, but taking off the rest i dont get.

Along those lines of a floatation device, as a U S Navy Vet, in bootcamp, we were taught that once in the water, you remove your pants, tie the leg openings into knots, and then try to raise the pants over your head ( to trap air ) and then pull them down into the water. Hopefully you have enough air to have a makeshift floatation device. I know this works with most cotton materials that are fairly heavy like jean material. While on a 6 month deployment in the Mediteranian Sea with the America Battle Group back in 1995-96, a US Marine was knocked overboard from the Air Craft Carrier at night, and he used that meathod to stay afloat for over a week before being picked up by Greek Fishermen.

i understand the flotation pants idea, but the part that i wondered about is when he said began removing shoes, pants and "most of his clothes".

so aside from the usefull pants what would be the point of taking off the rest of the clothes?

I did not get him directly on the phone since that crash. That was what the colleague, who called him afterwards, told me.
I guess he did it, so he could swimm freely and not be restricted by heavy soaked clothing ... <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

If I have opportunity to call him, I will ask him why he did that.

I Beleive it has to do with Chlothes getting all Wet, so Becoming Much Heavier, and Otherwise Acting as a Drag, and Weighing / Slowing you Down. As such, Swimming / Floating / Maintaining Your Life, -can be Very Difficult to Impossible in such Conditions!

Also, I Read a Number of years ago an Article (or Book Section), -about Someone whose Knowledgable / Keenly Conscious of, -Clothing and Fabric Flammabilty / Melting (ON You!) / Toxic Fumes and Gases Emanating from Such!

He Gave his Opinions and Tips on What TO Wear on an Airline Flight, -as Well as on What NOT to Wear! And on What to so Do with your Attire, -Should a Crash, Ditching, Etc, -be Imminent.

There May or May Not be some such Connections with the Chlothes Shedding Guy we're Talking About. (Probably Not, -His was in Relation to "Only" a Ditching). But I Thot I'd Make Mention of This Important Related Point as well. Perhaps some of you have been Familiar with that Article / Book / Topic Area too. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]NY Rat[/email]