Water rescue using the MOJE M1
Rescue at sea are different more challenging than rescues on inland waterways. The unpredictable currents found there are often compounded by wind, and at times by severe storms, and can be
accompanied by strong waves. At sea the time window available for a successful rescue is narrowed further due to low water temperatures which very frequently are lower than 16° Celsius; directly
impacting a casualties chance of survival.
Where all of these factors converge, 30 minutes can make the difference between life and death.
Ships travelling at speeds of 18 to 20 knots have a long breakway which means that in case of an accident the ship will be a grea distance from the site of the accident. Upon discovering the
accident the MOJE M1 is deployed as soon as possible. It could take a few hours before the captain has returned to the position of the accident. Thanks to the flashers with which the MOJE M1 is
equipped with a person is more likely to be found, even in the dark. If the individual who has fallen over board reaches the MOJE M1 on their own there is no obstacle to clear as there are with
an inflatable life raft. Once the casualty has swam into the centre chamber a hand-operated release inflates MOJE M1 and lifts the person out of the water.
Protection against hypothermia
To protect oneself from waves and spray MOJE M1 can be closed like a cocoon through an easy-to-operate closure mechanisms. Its flotation chambers float on the water surface, insulating the person
lying on MOJE M1 from cold water. MOJE M1 drastically changes the time window for hypothermia from just a few minutes to a couple of hours.
Simple rescue of unconscious individuals should not neglect to mention that the rescue steps mentioned above always only apply to individuals who are still conscious and who manage to reach the
Water Rescue Lift. Unconscious persons, on the other hand, must be pulled into the MOJE M1. This is not always possible with the aid of the inflated centre flotation chamber alone. Individuals
with a deployed life vest can be pulled into the MOJE M1 without considerable physical effort. There is room on the MOJE M 1 for both the rescuer and the person rescued.
With the aid of a crane aboard the ship or a helicopter, MOJE M1 can be lifted to the ship in a horizontal position.
Secure rescuing without danger of injury
The inflated MOJE M1 offers protection against falling and against collision with the side of the ship during recovery manoeuvres. The person in the MOJE M1 is strapped into a nearly immobilised
position. This helps ensure safe rescue and positioning of individuals who have already been injured as a result of their fall into the water.
The integrated rescue harness permits horizontal retrieval. Once back on board, the MOJE M1 offers an insulating platform on which to administer first aid.
Rescue from seas, rivers, canals and harbour basins
Here, too, the time factor plays the greatest role. In these cases, there are certain special circumstances that make a rescue enormously more difficult. An individual who has fallen over board
on rapid-flowing rivers is captured by the current and swept away. Here it is not possible to halt the engines on inland vessels, or even to turn. That is why an immediate response is required,
with the MOJE M1 thrown into the water at once.
In this case, the MOJE M1 performs several tasks at the same time. It marks the position at which the device was thrown in, as the inflated flotation chambers make it visible from a greater
distance, and from the air.
It is swept along at the same speed, with minimal lateral drift, in the same direction as the individual to be rescued. This is a very important aspect for relocating the person in the
water.
On the banks, or on the ship's deck, the MOJE M1 insulates the rescued individual from the cold surface of the ground or deck.