First aid on the boat

After my wife saw the news that there have been 10 boating related deaths this year in our state she had a freak out that prompted me to revisit our first aid supplies and do some upgrading of our kit. In the midst of this, we were discussing what people carry specific to their crew on the malibu forum and it made me wonder what do you keep that you consider Essential? I am also trying to arrange a group buy for first aid kits for the malibu forum, if anyone here is interested I can try and set something up here too if thats ok. My two go to items that most kits dont come with are celox and an Israeli bandage. Those two items stopped my sons massive head lac from bleeding out any worse than it already was. I add those to every kit I have and they are must have items to me. Whats on your list of must haves?

I added a handheld air horn because the stock horns on the newer moombas don't do squat. Last year had a guy heading right for us not paying attention and my yelling seemed louder than the horn.

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Before any kit parts I suggest training on the use of them. If you aren’t CPR certified, find a class. American Heart Association offers community classes for first aid and CPR. Minor traumas on the water aren’t a big deal, it’s the drowning, traumatic arrest, or severe allergic reaction event that concerns me.

I’m a paramedic and my wife is a ER and former flight RN. Through my career I’ve been able to acquire a lot of items that are useful, but passed their service life. I have a complete trauma bag in my boat and AED, but a good first aid kit with a few additional items, and the training to use them is essential.

CPR pocket mask or a bag valve mask (mouth to mouth isn’t fun)
Tourniquet
Quick clot, celox, or other impregnated bandage for major bleeds
EpiPen and EpiPen Jr if you have kids with allergies
Ibuprofen
Aspirin (very beneficial for possible heart attack)
Benadryl
If you can afford it, an AED. Costco used to have them at a reasonable price
Blankets. Keeping a person warm and dry who is in shock is important.

Wilderness medicine courses are great to learn improvised care techniques, and you meet some really cool people. Look up the wilderness medical society for courses.

I can’t overemphasize training as the most important tool.


Making my new SA build come true!!!

This is a great topic. TBH I have been meaning to get signed up for some training but have just been busy which is a poor excuse, I am definitely getting signed up for a class or 2.

Training is hands down #1.
My different employers over the last 2 decades have sent me to first responders training.
I asked for it at my current job and they are looking into a program for the whole company now. Most teach basic CPR and how to use an AED. Not saying everyone has this access but ask your safety department at work and you might get free training.

As for supplies, 2in2out has this covered. Not sure about buying an AED but if you can, it can do a lot for you.

Just to add a bit of context to injuries and deaths as a result of static water emergencies that I’ve responded to, or have been informed of.

Most deaths occur from drowning secondary to blunt trauma. Warm water drownings (>70F) have a lower chance of survival than cold water drownings. Blunt trauma has lower survival than penetrating or amputating trauma with the caveat that bleeding must be significantly slowed within 10 min of injury. Drowning is the leading cause of death because the injured can neither self rescue, nor alert bystanders. The chaos around an incident usually causes significant delays in rescue and first response.

Practice for events by making sure someone is maintaining control of the vessel, and another is in charge of reporting the incident with an accurate location and best lake access with an accurate description of the emergency. This person also needs to stay in communication with dispatch.

The necessity of throwable flotation devices is important for the injured/drowning person as it marks the location if they submerge. Rescuers can then use those flotation devices for self rescue or to assist in keeping an unresponsive person from submersing.

In rescue we use the statement of priority actions. Reach, throw, row, go! We never leave a vessel unless we’ve exhausted the other options. Try to reach for the person, throw a flotation device to them, maneuver the vessel to them, then enter the water to retrieve if necessary. Priority is not to become a victim.


Making my new SA build come true!!!

Good stuff! Im an ER/ trauma RN so I carry a bit heavy too but no AED. Training is critical but hard to get folks to think of when they want to go out and party. I told my wife that most of these recent incidents were kayakers who drowned because there were no lifejackets involved. Thats inexcusable and 100% preventable. Wilderness first aid is a good class if offered in your area, cpr is critical, meds for allergic reactions, airway supplies, and a tourniquet incase of a prop injury to an extremity are some of my other must have items. Air horn is a new one on the list but I like it.

we always carried 2 basic first aid kits, advil/benadryl, tampons, a rattlesnake bite kit due to being in the west and a blanket.

I feel fortunate that in 15 years of boat ownership we only ever needed the advil/benadryl and tampons. I don't recall that we ever even used a bandaid.

I know the https://thequalifiedcaptain.com/prod...40640048300194 has what seems to be a good kit although they seems to be sold out a lot of the time.

I have been working on a group buy deal for this kit here
https://mymedic.com/products/boat-me...-first-aid-kit

They have agreed to 30% off and free shipping just finishing up the final details for a discount code.

I have been working on a group buy deal for this kit here
https://mymedic.com/products/boat-me...-first-aid-kit

They have agreed to 30% off and free shipping just finishing up the final details for a discount code.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mxmark4

I have been working on a group buy deal for this kit here
https://mymedic.com/products/boat-me...-first-aid-kit

They have agreed to 30% off and free shipping just finishing up the final details for a discount code.

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Nice job! That’s a really good kit covering all the basics and decent price.


Making my new SA build come true!!!

So if anybody is interested in getting a kit from my medic I have a code for 30% off and free shipping. Code is

MALIBU30

Dont hate on the code, I had a malibu and was helping set this up for the malibu forum as well!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mxmark4

So if anybody is interested in getting a kit from my medic I have a code for 30% off and free shipping. Code is

MALIBU30

Dont hate on the code, I had a malibu and was helping set this up for the malibu forum as well!

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That is awesome! Thanks for sharing.