Navy Drowning Prompts New Life Jacket Rule
Sailors must now wear life jackets when watching topside aboard Navy submarines.
Provoked by the drowning of a sailor in July who fell into the water while atop a submarine, a new rule has been created that changes life jacket requirements for submariners, according to PilotOnline.com. The seaman, Rolando Acosta, fell into the water at Pier 3 and while atop the USS Boise at the Norfolk Naval Station.
The new regulations state that sailors standing topside aboard a Navy submarine have to wear life jackets at all times. The new safety procedures also recommend that the naval station add trained divers to its emergency response team to speed up future rescue and recovery. Even though those aboard the ship saw Acosta fall, a diver was not able to rescue him in time.
For more information, visit http://hamptonroads.com/2013/10/report-life-vest-could-have-saved-sailor-who-fell-submarine.