| UK. Pains Wessex flares used during Ross Hobson’s Route du Rhum dramatic rescue |
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| Tuesday, 14 November 2006 | |
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Company news: Ross Hobson’s Route du Rhum challenge aboard Ideal Stelrad came to a dramatic end last week but his rescue was facilitated by the flares he had been donated by Pains Wessex. Ross was 1,750 miles off the east coast of the USA in horrendous conditions in his 43’ custom built trimaran when he capsized. Luckily Ross had the latest safety equipment on his boat including a satellite phone, two emergency positioning indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) and Pains Wessex flares. The satellite phone was immediately soaked rendering it unusable but Ross quickly set off his EPIRBs and the signal was picked up by Falmouth Coastguard who coordinated the rescue. In order to ensure that he was rescued, Ross then deployed the flares from his Pains Wessex RORC pack which indicated his position to the search and rescue team. In Ross’ own words, “I decided to aid any rescuers by setting off a large parachute flare on the hour and a smaller parachute flare on the half hour. These were fun to set off and great for my morale as they make a very gratifying whoosh as they zip off into the air. Around 2am I fell asleep and promptly fell off my perch on the chart table. As I looked out of the emergency hatch I saw a ship’s lights. I immediately set off a parachute flare or two, got together my personal effects and set off handheld flares as they manoeuvred into the rescue” The captain of the Carmen (of the Wallenius Line) took Ross onto the ship and his ordeal was over. Unfortunately Ideal Stelrad has been left to the seas as she is too far from land and the conditions were too rough to rescue her. Pains Wessex has been manufacturing flares for 100 years and their products can be relied on to save lives in emergency situations. As Ross is an experienced yachtsman with thousands of nautical miles under his belt, he has had his fair share of experience with flares and would never set off without them |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 14 November 2006 ) |
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