TRIALS ARE AT PRESENT in progress on two different possible answers to the same problem: how best to achieve a stretcher which will float. While flotation is obviously a desirable extra safeguard in any marine situation, there are also many occasions when it would have the particular advantage of greatly increasing the chances of recovering a badly injured person either from the water or from rocks with as little further aggravation to the injury as possible.

One of the experimental stretchers, called the all purpose stretcher (see Figs 2 and3), was designed by Brian Powell, a senior fire officer of Cumbria Fire Brigade. It is manufactured by MFC Survival Ltd. Intended primarily for mountain rescue work, this stretcher can be carried in a comparatively small pack. The rigid base is made up of glass reinforced plastic panels which are locked in position by light alloy box section tubing with spring locking clips. Once the base has been set up a carefully shaped 'collar' is inflated so that, for marine use, the stretcher becomes a small inflatable catamaran. With an inflatable mattress and a vee-shapedcushion for a casualty's neck, the all purpose stretcher provides valuable shock absorption and some insulation from the cold; a zip-up fly sheet lined with heat-reflecting foil further reduces heat loss from the casualty. A first aider attendant from the lifeboat crew, sitting astride the stretcher, can easily slide a casualty from the water into the stretcher.

Should the stretcher be capsized, anattendant in the water can easily right it; and there is a big enough air pocket under the stretcher when it is upsidedown for the casualty to be able to breath.

The second experimental stretcher is a development by Crew Member John Ashford of Torbay. who is also an ambulance man, of the basket stretcher (seen in use on service in photographs on pages 224 and 225). To the basic stretcher, in which a number of round drainage holes have been cut, has been added a flotation jacket made from a modified lifejacket. The jacket is attached to the stretcher by two snap hooks on each shoulder strap and clips on each end of an adjustable cross strap. So. in effect, the casualty is secured in a lifejacket which has a full length rigid extension to give protection from further injury while the man or woman is being got aboard a lifeboat.

At whatever angle the stretcher enters the sea the casualty will float with his head above water (see Fig 1).

Both stretchers are undergoing evaluation trials on the coast, with particular attention being given to such vital details as the lifting attachments. The ideas are there; now they are being followed through to see what they have to offer to the work of rescue at sea..