Size Counts – But One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Although few people go to a store to buy shoes without trying them on for fit, it has been observed that when buying survival suits, people look at the size range written on the suit, pay the bill and call it good. However, size counts whether you are buying shoes for walking or the survival suit you are depending for on your life.
When a fishing vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska, a small crew member who entered the water in a “universal” sized survival suit ended up needing to be held on a larger person’s body in rough seas. That’s because her suit was too large and the hood kept floating off her head, allowing water to enter the suit, and placing her in danger of drowning. Fortunately, the crew members were rescued by a Kodiak-based Coast Guard helicopter and survived to fish another...