Hello! This is Christian. This past week we took part in a 4-day Offshore Medical Class to learn about survival medicine at sea. The week was full of demos and discussions, ultimately leaving all of us with great takeaways to carry throughout our adventures.

A few personal reflections regarding our training:

• Rescuing an unconscious crew-member from the water is extremely difficult and within just a few minutes they could be far under the surface of the water. Wearing a life-vest and/or a tether is really the difference between life and death when it comes to these rescue operations.
  
  If Myron (our volunteer to practice) had not been wearing a buoyant wetsuit and was truly unconscious, the 2 minutes it took me to get into the water to grab him would have been far too late to do anything. Yet with a flotation device, be it pfd, or being tethered to the boat, Myron would still be relatively close to the surface (or on it) and rescue is still possible!
  
  
• Medicine at sea is really the last and final safety net for accidents at sea. It is really important to have safety measures, standard operating procedures, and common sense to help prevent the need for performing survival medicine at sea. This is why on Celtic Song we have rules about going to the bow (have a spotter), wearing tethers when alone on deck, and familiarizing yourself with all the equipment on board in case of an emergency.
  
  
• Practice, practice, practice. Seriously I can't understate the benefit of going through emergency procedures slowly and without error before the stress of a real emergency hits. All of the time spent practicing how to communicate effectively, getting the right medical equipment, and delegating tasks to crew is tested when an emergency happens. I swear it is a test you don't want to fail. During this week's training I learned about how stress affects my own ability communicate, and it was really difficult even under the watchful eye of a medical professional. Don't assume you can perform life-saving medical treatments, rescues, or run a crises response if you have not practiced. That is a recipe for regret!

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