Trapped in engine compartment!!

P

PatSea

Member
Aug 9, 2008
66
Lake Erie
Boat Info
boatless
Engines
boatless
I had a frightning experience this week that really got me to thinking about how things can go wrong quickly while at the dock. To make a long story short I was working on my boat at the marina on a nice quiet Monday morning when I began to hear a person yelling. I couldn't make out what they were saying, and it sounded like they were several city blocks off in the distance. After hearing this for awhile, I walked down the docks for a distance and then I realized that the person was yelling "HELP", and that the person seemed to be in our marina, on the other side of the fairway. I immediately ran over to that side of the marina, went out on the floating docks and found a guy stuck in his engine compartment. This was about a 30 foot Sea Ray and he was trapped head first between the engines with his head down near the bilge. About all I could see were his feet! There was no way I could pull him out by myself, so I ran to the marina office and got help. One of the guys was an EMT and he took charge. It took 3 of us about 30 minutes to pull him out. He was cut from trying to free himself and required 3 stitches on his arm. He had been trapped for about an hour before I found him.
He of course was light headed after he got out, and except for the cuts was OK.
He said he was doing some maintenance in the engine compartment and dropped a nut, so he decided to go head first to retrieve it. He got stuck and the more he tried to free himself, the tighter he became wedged.
The one lesson I learned is never go into a tight space like the engine compartment without someone being with you.
I also noted that although his boat was only about 50 yards from mine, his cries for help were very weak and muffled due to being surrounded by all the equipment, the hull etc.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
 
My friend had a similar experience with his boat. He was able to get to his cell phone and call for help. By the time help got there - he was able to relax and get himself free.
 
I know somebody that was a maniac for cleanness. He was trying to have everything on his Ferretti shining, including the engine room automatic extinguisher vial he then managed to break! You can imagine the result!!! He was almost dying from choking and was saved by a member of his crew!!!
 
I have to say I have gotten stuck upside down a few times, but was always able to pull myself out. Many scratches, cuts, scares to show off my antics. I always tell someone (wife or kids) so they know that I might get stuck. I fear that one day I will not be able to pull myself out.
 
I've gotten stuck a few times. I don't go in unless someone is aware I'm in there. One time I dropped a wrench behind the engine in my 280, it was stuck under the shaft, then I got stuck behind the engine. 10 min was far too long to wait. My shirt got snagged on something and my arm were out in front of me so I couldn't get it off.
 
damn bilge of my old v-drive 310 always made me claustrophobic and I had the dirty sump to prove it but my near-death experience that i"ll admit too wasnt engine room related, it was attempting to retrieve a lost anchor off the bow while in my slip. I was changing the shackle, didn't have the 310's fluke tied off well (left 4-5 ft of line to tie it off while attaching the shackle to the rode I'd left in the locker), tried to reatttach the shackle to the anchor and then 'plop'--it fell line-less into about 12ft of water (in April). without giving it too much thought, I jumped in the cold water and went down to find it. I thought I was in shape and a strong swimmer so i'll just grab it and swim back to the surface, piece of cake. stupid. went down, no anchor, back up for air, down again, no luck, back up for air. down again, finally found it but had to come up for air. back down, grabbed it, kicked off the muddy bottom holding it. realized after a few feet, I wasnt going to be able to just kick to the surface so I decided to just let it go. but, somehow I had wrapped/tangled a few feet of the line around my wrist as I was flailing about to get to the surface. kicking like a maniac just to keep from sinking back to the bottom while trying to unwrap the line from my wrist. then I thought to swim sideways hoping to catch the dock structure. finally hit something, grabbed it and pulled myself up with one hand/arm to the surface. when my head broke the surface I was just completely numb from exhaustion. i didnt have another microsecond of air left. stayed there for a few minutes in the 50 degree water just to regain some strength to be able to move. finally got the rope off my wrist and tied it to the dock and climbed on my swim platform. since was april, very few people at marina, so no one saw or heard me. I truly thought I was gone...about as scared for my life as I've ever been. definitley my stupidest moment (so far). This maybe off topic here and I apologize but the point is, letting someone know when you're jacking around with your boat is absolutely great advice.
 
This is a fear of mine. Can the lifting ram lose fluid fast enough to make the engine compartment come down without warning? The engine hatch on the 300DA has to weigh several hundred pounds and there would be no way for any person to lift it alone if they were stuck inside.
 
PatSea said:
I had a frightning experience this week that really got me to thinking about how things can go wrong quickly while at the dock. To make a long story short I was working on my boat at the marina on a nice quiet Monday morning when I began to hear a person yelling. I couldn't make out what they were saying, and it sounded like they were several city blocks off in the distance. After hearing this for awhile, I walked down the docks for a distance and then I realized that the person was yelling "HELP", and that the person seemed to be in our marina, on the other side of the fairway. I immediately ran over to that side of the marina, went out on the floating docks and found a guy stuck in his engine compartment. This was about a 30 foot Sea Ray and he was trapped head first between the engines with his head down near the bilge. About all I could see were his feet! There was no way I could pull him out by myself, so I ran to the marina office and got help. One of the guys was an EMT and he took charge. It took 3 of us about 30 minutes to pull him out. He was cut from trying to free himself and required 3 stitches on his arm. He had been trapped for about an hour before I found him.
He of course was light headed after he got out, and except for the cuts was OK.
He said he was doing some maintenance in the engine compartment and dropped a nut, so he decided to go head first to retrieve it. He got stuck and the more he tried to free himself, the tighter he became wedged.
The one lesson I learned is never go into a tight space like the engine compartment without someone being with you.
I also noted that although his boat was only about 50 yards from mine, his cries for help were very weak and muffled due to being surrounded by all the equipment, the hull etc.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Click to expand...

YOUR THE MAN. GREAT JOB :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
Bridog said:
This is a fear of mine. Can the lifting ram lose fluid fast enough to make the engine compartment come down without warning? The engine hatch on the 300DA has to weigh several hundred pounds and there would be no way for any person to lift it alone if they were stuck inside.
Click to expand...

Fear of mine too....after being trapped inside. I lost power to the ram so I disconnected the ram pin and opened the hatch manually to investigate. I propped the hatch open with a boat hook while I took a look around. All of a sudden it started to get dark as the boat hook slid a couple inches and then bent in half.

Well...there I am, trapped in the ER, in the dark, all alone, cell phone in the cabin. These hatches are a beast! I managed to lift it up just enough to wedge half a boat hook under the lip. I suck up my pride and start yelling for help out of the 2 inch opening. No response. :smt089

Maybe I'm mildy claustrophobic but I needed out of there, and now. I managed to eventually wedge myself out of the corner of the hatch and slither to freedom. I don't recommend this method as I left a lot of skin and hair behind. Lesson learned.
 
Bel_Mar_Pointe said:
Fear of mine too....after being trapped inside. I lost power to the ram so I disconnected the ram pin and opened the hatch manually to investigate. I propped the hatch open with a boat hook while I took a look around. All of a sudden it started to get dark as the boat hook slid a couple inches and then bent in half.

Well...there I am, trapped in the ER, in the dark, all alone, cell phone in the cabin. These hatches are a beast! I managed to lift it up just enough to wedge half a boat hook under the lip. I suck up my pride and start yelling for help out of the 2 inch opening. No response. :smt089

Maybe I'm mildy claustrophobic but I needed out of there, and now. I managed to eventually wedge myself out of the corner of the hatch and slither to freedom. I don't recommend this method as I left a lot of skin and hair behind. Lesson learned.
Click to expand...



Geeeeeez:smt009:smt009:smt009
 
Bel_Mar_Pointe said:
Fear of mine too....after being trapped inside. I lost power to the ram so I disconnected the ram pin and opened the hatch manually to investigate. I propped the hatch open with a boat hook while I took a look around. All of a sudden it started to get dark as the boat hook slid a couple inches and then bent in half.

Well...there I am, trapped in the ER, in the dark, all alone, cell phone in the cabin. These hatches are a beast! I managed to lift it up just enough to wedge half a boat hook under the lip. I suck up my pride and start yelling for help out of the 2 inch opening. No response. :smt089

Maybe I'm mildy claustrophobic but I needed out of there, and now. I managed to eventually wedge myself out of the corner of the hatch and slither to freedom. I don't recommend this method as I left a lot of skin and hair behind. Lesson learned.
Click to expand...
That's all I needed to know. I'm bringing a peice of wood with me next time to use as a brace. That could have turned real ugly if you hit your head, excessive heat, etc. Glad your ok.
 
When I'm working on the boat, I'm always thankful that I'm not that big. Never close to getting stuck in the engine room.
 
Bridog said:
This is a fear of mine. Can the lifting ram lose fluid fast enough to make the engine compartment come down without warning? The engine hatch on the 300DA has to weigh several hundred pounds and there would be no way for any person to lift it alone if they were stuck inside.
Click to expand...

Bridog, there isn't any fluid in the hatch actuator...it is a acme screw driven actuator. That means when the acme screw inside the actuator stops rotating, the rod is held in position and will not backdrive and collapse back into the actuator body. I am sure S/R did an awful lot of due dilagence on liability before they incorporated that design of their boats.

As for getting stuck, I've not done it yet, but I had Di lower the hatch once to get a tool out of my dock box while I was in the ER. Even though I had the bilge lights on, I got spooked on the confinement and started yelling open this ef'in thing up NOW! I wish there would be a better way of access to the boat when you have the hatch up, but after that, I crawl out and lower it all the way down, then back up again......nuff of that.
 
It sure is....I had Di close the hatch before and I was OK with it. The last time, no way, that ER kept getting smaller and smaller. I think what got me was as the hatch closed, the actuator compresses down, it bumped my shoulder as it was coming down....it tried pushing me and I think that is what did it, that is when the pit hit the shan and the blades started bending.
 
Not a worry of mine at all. At 6'3" and 210 lbs, and with a 2000 340DA with V drives, I would have to be in separate parts already for the hatch to close with me in there. For those not familiar with this engine "room", it is very, very tight.
 
mmmmmm

Sadly anyone of you with a 300 know how the engine compartment is and will get stuck between the big gas guzzlers..... Not a matter of if it will happen, it is WHEN it will happen. I must not lie and say I have been stuck twice!:smt009

Damn bilge pump and switch is always just out of reach. I do have a solution though. My son, 29 skinny and in the navy! He is my official "bilge monkey!" He knows how to wire and run pipe...........

He was free the first time, now if I can get him to come over it costs me lots of beer!!!! I know when he comes over and I tell him I want to strip the bilge and repaint it, well I may have to max out my credit card.....:wow:

Moral of the story? Have a "skinny bilge monkey" and have lots of money on your CC!:thumbsup:
 
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Scott - thats what valium is for - I can't believe the staff would expect someone to lay still for 3 hrs in a wash tub!
 
Bridog said:
That's all I needed to know. I'm bringing a peice of wood with me next time to use as a brace. That could have turned real ugly if you hit your head, excessive heat, etc. Glad your ok.
Click to expand...

No kidding. I'm going to wedge a block of wood also. Forget about excessive heat....what about breathing gas fumes in an enclosed space.
 
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