Personal Watercraft Research Articles

Managers, modelers, and measuring the impact of species distribution model uncertainty on marine zoning decisions.

Marine managers routinely use spatial data to make decisions about their marine environment. Uncertainty associated with this spatial data can have profound impacts on these management decisions and their projected outcomes. Recent advances in modeling techniques, including species distribution models (SDMs), make it easier to generate continuous maps showing the uncertainty associated with spatial predictions and maps. However, SDM predictions and maps can be complex and nuanced. This complexity makes their use challenging for non-technical managers, preventing them from having the best available information to make decisions. To help bridge these communication and information gaps, we developed maps to illustrate how SDMs and associated uncertainty can be translated into readily usable products for managers. We also explicitly described the potential impacts of uncertainty on marine zoning decisions. This approach was applied to a case study in Saipan Lagoon, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Managers in Saipan are interested in minimizing the potential impacts of personal watercraft (e.g., jet skis) on staghorn Acropora (i.e., Acropora aspera, A. formosa, and A. pulchra), which is an important coral assemblage in the lagoon. We used a recently completed SDM for staghorn Acropora to develop maps showing the sensitivity of zoning options to three different prediction and three different uncertainty thresholds (nine combinations total). Our analysis showed that the amount of area and geographic location of predicted staghorn Acropora presence changed based on these nine combinations. These dramatically different spatial patterns would have significant zoning implications when considering where to exclude and/or allow jet skis operations inside the lagoon. They also show that different uncertainty thresholds may lead managers to markedly different conclusions and courses of action. Defining acceptable levels of uncertainty upfront is critical for ensuring that managers can make more informed decisions, meet their marine resource goals and generate favorable outcomes for their stakeholders.

Rectal injury associated with personal watercraft use

Rectal injury associated with personal watercraft use

Spine Trauma From Personal Watercraft Usage.

Retrospective cohort study. To identify patient characteristics and associated injuries in those sustaining a spine fracture from personal watercraft (PWC) usage. There are few studies regarding PWC use and injuries, and even more scarce are studies evaluating PWC usage and spine injuries. Identifying high-risk actions and individuals can help to effectively treat them, reduce mortality, and possibly avoid certain spine fractures. Retrospective analysis of 142 patients admitted from the emergency department with PWC-related injuries at a single-level I trauma center from January 1, 2004 to May 1, 2017. Twenty-six (18.3%) sustained a spine fracture, totaling 71 fractures. Statistical analysis was used to investigate the patient characteristics, specific mechanisms of injury, injury severity score (ISS), and associated injuries. Patients expiring (12) had incomplete evaluations and were excluded from most reported results. Spine fractures were not associated with age, race, or sex, but were associated with a higher ISS, intensive care unit length, in-patient length of stay, cerebral injury, and abdominal/genitourinary (GU) injury. There were 8 cervical fractures, 22 thoracic fractures, 33 lumbar, and 8 sacral fractures. Axial load injuries were associated with vertebral body fractures and specifically burst fractures. Being a driver or passenger did not influence likelihood of a spine fracture, but did correlate with abdominal/GU injury. Five (19.2%) of patients with spine fractures required eight spine surgeries during admission. Mortality was associated with females, severe systemic injuries (ISS ≥ 15), direct collision mechanism of injury, and the spring season. PWC usage may result in spine fractures with a moderate percentage requiring orthopedic surgery. Additional studies should examine how hull or seat modifications can lessen the risk of axial loads leading to spine fractures. PWC patients with spine fractures should also be evaluated for abdominal/GU and cerebral injuries at presentation. 4.

Analysis of water sports injuries admitted to a pediatric trauma center: a 13year experience.

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in children and adolescents. Injuries occurring during boating and recreational water sports are poorly described in the literature. Herein, we compare injuries from water sports to those resulting from motor vehicle collisions, which are better described in existing literature. A retrospective review of 1935 consecutive pediatric trauma patients, as defined by age < 18 years, admitted to a single level-1 pediatric trauma center between January 2000 and August 2013 was performed. Patients were divided into two cohorts based on the mechanism of injury: water sports injury (WSI) or motor vehicle collision (MVC). Demographics, injury descriptors, and outcomes were reviewed for each patient. Categorical variables were compared by Chi square or Fisher's exact test, and continuous by t test or Mann-Whitney U test. Parametric data are reported as mean ± standard deviation and nonparametric as median (interquartile range). Significance was set at alpha level 0.05. A total of 18 pediatric patients were admitted for WSI and 615 for MVC during the study period. Among those with WSI, mean age was 12 ± 4 years, mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 11 ± 10, and mean Revised Trauma Score (RTS) was 7.841(IQR 6.055-7.841). 44% of WSI occurred by personal watercraft (Jet Ski, WaveRunner), 39% by boat, and 17% by other means (e.g., diving, tubing, kite surfing). Overall, the most common WSI included skin/soft-tissue lacerations (59%), head injury/concussion (33%), tendon/ligament lacerations (28%), and extremity fractures (28%). Compared to 615 patients admitted for MVC, age, sex, race, Glasgow Coma Scale, ISS, RTS, spleen and liver laceration rates, neurosurgical consultation, ICU admission, ICU and total length of stay, and mortality were similar. Patients with WSI were more likely to be tourists (44% vs. 5%, p < 0.001). Those with WSI showed a significantly higher requirement for any surgical intervention (61% vs. 15%, p = 0.001). The rate of open fracture (28% vs. 6%, p = 0.006) and, subsequently, orthopedic procedures (39% vs. 17%, p = 0.027) were also higher in the WSI group. Overall, water sports injuries are similar in in-hospital mortality to motor vehicle collisions. They are more likely to result in penetrating trauma and more likely to require surgical intervention. Primary and secondary prevention strategies should specifically target personal watercraft usage and tourist populations.

Personal Watercraft Related Injuries—16-Year Experience from a Level I Trauma Center

Personal Watercraft Related Injuries—16-Year Experience from a Level I Trauma Center

The Use of Computer-Generated Animations and Simulations at Trial

Victoria Webster is senior counsel with Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. and has been overseeing product liability actions involving three and four wheel ATVs, side by side vehicles, golf cars, snowmobiles, and personal watercraft since 1986. She received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles in 1984. She is a member of both the California and Georgia bar. Trey Bourn serves as Assistant Practice Group Leader for the Product Liability, Toxic Tort, and Environmental Group at Butler Snow, LLP in its Jackson, Miss., offices. His practice is focused on representing clients in the areas of recreational vehicles, watercraft, automobiles, and other machinery-related product liability cases. He also focuses his practice on drug and medical device litigation. Trey earned his J.D. from the University of Mississippi, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Mississippi Law Journal. The authors would like to thank Carol T. Montgomery and Caroline D. Walker, both attorneys in the Birmingham office of Butler Snow LLP, for their invaluable efforts in putting together this paper. ********** A computer is not a gimmick and the court should not be shy about its use, when proper. Computers are simply mechanical tools--receiving information and acting on instructions at lightning speed. When the results are useful, they should be accepted, when confusing, they should be rejected. What is important is that the presentation be relevant to a possible defense, that it fairly and accurately reflect the oral testimony offered and that it be an aid to the jury's understanding of the issue. (1) INCREASINGLY, computer-generated and simulations are being used in courtrooms across the country. Although and simulations can assist jurors in understanding complex issues, they can also distract from and distort the facts of a case. recognition of the power these new evidentiary tools can hold over jurors, courts have erected barriers to admission of this evidence in order to ensure that such evidence helps, more than it hurts, the fact-finder's search for the truth. Courts first review the evidence to determine whether it is animation or simulation, as standards for admissibility differ for each. Since expert testimony frequently provides the vehicle for animation and simulation admission, challenges to this evidence often should be made in the context of Daubert motion practice. Evidence of this type often is created in the latter stages of trial preparation, and therefore timeliness objections are frequently made (though they are rarely successful). Courts nearly always employ cautionary instructions that attempt to blunt the force of effective and simulations. I. Animation or Simulation? Computer-generated evidence can be categorized as demonstrative or substantive evidence, and the distinctions between the two are very important. Computer-generated animations are generally considered to be demonstrative evidence and can be thought of as visual aids used in support of witness testimony. (2) Their purpose is to help the jury understand a witness's testimony, and they do not purport to be scientific recreations of an actual event. (3) To the extent that do recreate events, they can only do so in furtherance of visually representing a witness's belief about what transpired. (4) An animation has only secondary relevance and must rely on other material testimony for relevance. (5) contrast, simulations are considered substantive evidence and are computer-generated models or reconstructions based on scientific principles. (6) Simulations are created by entering data and engaging in computer-assisted analysis in accordance with widely accepted methodology. (7) Rather than depicting a witness's testimony in the manner of an animation, simulations form conclusions based on raw data: In a simulation, data is entered into a computer which is programmed to analyze the information and perform calculations by applying mathematical models, laws of physics and other scientific principles in order to draw conclusions and recreate an incident. …

The NPS and Ossification: Does It Still Exist?

ABSTRACTThe US notice and comment rulemaking process has often been considered ossified or broken, but recent scholarship has questioned this claim. To address this disagreement, we use McGarity’s (1992) ossification argument as a descriptive framework to structure an examination of interview data from three National Park Service rules: (1) Yellowstone National Park Rule, (2) Areas of the National Park System, Grand Canyon National Park Rule, and (3) the Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook Unit, Personal Watercraft Use Rule. We offer qualitative insights into what drives the longevity of NPS rulemaking, including analytical, scientific review, and substantive review requirements.

水上オートバイ事故による直腸・膣損傷の2例

水上オートバイ事故による直腸・膣損傷の2例

Sustainable tourism in an ecologically critical area: Implications to Dahican and its threatened marine megafauna

The City of Mati, Davao Oriental is one of the few places that can boast of a wide variety of natural attractions ideal for promoting eco-tourism enterprises. Dahican Beach is unique because it is the habitat of several charismatic marine megafauna, namely: dugongs, whale sharks, dolphins, and three species of nesting marine turtles. Yet, very little is about the marine species that have made Dahican their home. In 2013, the Regional ICRM Center XI simultaneously conducted two studies in Dahican: one was the baseline study on the status of marine megafauna in Mayo Bay, and the other was a willingness-to-pay study for the feasibility of collecting environmental fees. Both projects have implications on the sustainability of these resources as well as that of future tourism endeavors. Around the same time, however, the operation of a personal watercraft (PWC) - popularly known as Jet Ski® had been observed in Dahican. Such an activity has and will result to a number of issues including but not limited to conflict with other beach recreationists, disruption in the conduct of RIC Xl's research, and the potentially grave threat to the survival of marine organisms, especially the large marine vertebrates. To elucidate to the reader the possible threats of PWCs on the marine wildlife of Dahican, a literature review is provided.

Landowner perceptions of three types of boating in the Saranac Lakes area of New York State׳s Adirondack Park

In order for natural resource managers to better understand conflicting landowner perspectives related to non-motorized, motorized, and personal watercraft use, this study examines the demographic and experiential characteristics, values, attitudes, and beliefs of landowners in the Saranac Lakes area of the Adirondack Park in New York State. A mixed-methods approach, composed of 20 in-depth interviews with land managers and a mail survey of 1000 landowners, was used. Three path analyses were completed, one for each type of boat use. Results indicate that resource-related values influence beliefs and attitudes related to boat use, supporting the cognitive hierarchy model of human behavior (Fulton, D. C., Manfredo, M. J., & Lipscomb, J. (1996). Wildlife value orientations: a conceptual and measurement approach. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 1, 24–47). In addition, length of residence in the area, past participation in non-motorized and motorized boating, age, and education were found to influence attitudes towards certain types of boating. The results of this study can be used by natural resource managers to identify management strategies that better address the values and recreational interests of landowners. Management implicationsA mixed methods approach, including a path analysis, of landowner perspectives on three types of boating can assist resource managers to1.Understand differences in beliefs and attitudes of boaters – providing insight into existing and potential boater conflicts.2.Create boater education programs that influence the basic beliefs and attitudes specific to landowner concerns.3.Create recreational opportunities that meet resident needs, and garner resident support for management efforts.

A rare case of a scuba diver's death due to propeller injuries of a desalination pump

Water skiing, boat racing, skin and scuba diving, as well as pleasure boat cruising are becoming increasingly popular hobbies. As a result, the incidence of injuries secondary to motor propellers is becoming more frequent. Injuries by propellers, amputation, death by drowning, and bleeding are rare reported events in forensic literature. The most common circumstances surrounding boat-propeller-related injuries are concerned with getting into or out of the boat, personal watercraft use or water skiing, and falling or being thrown from the boat. A case of a scuba diver's death that occurred during an illegal scuba fishing trip around a desalination plant is presented. A complete autopsy and histological study of all organs and surfaces of dismembered cadaveric sections, performed in order to determine the phases of death, are reported. An underwater scene investigation was conducted by an engineering team studying the mouth of the pump and the dynamic characteristic of rotating propeller blades.

Child development and pediatric sport and recreational injuries by age.

In 2010, 8.6 million children were treated for unintentional injuries in American emergency departments. Child engagement in sports and recreation offers many health benefits but also exposure to injury risks. In this analysis, we consider possible developmental risk factors in a review of age, sex, and incidence of 39 sport and recreational injuries. To assess (1) how the incidence of 39 sport and recreational injuries changed through each year of child and adolescent development, ages 1 to 18 years, and (2) sex differences. Design : Descriptive epidemiology study. Emergency department visits across the United States, as reported in the 2001-2008 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database. Data represent population-wide emergency department visits in the United States. Main Outcome Measure(s) : Pediatric sport- and recreation-related injuries requiring treatment in hospital emergency departments. Almost 37 pediatric sport or recreational injuries are treated hourly in the United States. The incidence of sport- and recreation-related injuries peaks at widely different ages. Team-sport injuries tend to peak in the middle teen years, playground injuries peak in the early elementary ages and then drop off slowly, and bicycling injuries peak in the preteen years but are a common cause of injury throughout childhood and adolescence. Bowling injuries peaked at the earliest age (4 years), and injuries linked to camping and personal watercraft peaked at the oldest age (18 years). The 5 most common causes of sport and recreational injuries across development, in order, were basketball, football, bicycling, playgrounds, and soccer. Sex disparities were common in the incidence of pediatric sport and recreational injuries. Both biological and sociocultural factors likely influence the developmental aspects of pediatric sport and recreational injury risk. Biologically, changes in perception, cognition, and motor control might influence injury risk. Socioculturally, decisions must be made about which sport and recreational activities to engage in and how much risk taking occurs while engaging in those activities. Understanding the developmental aspects of injury data trends allows preventionists to target education at specific groups.

Colorectal Injury in a Personal Watercraft (Jet Ski) Passenger: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

As the popularity of the personal watercraft (PWC) or Jet Ski increases, injuries suffered from the usage of them become more common. Most severe injuries in this setting are typically related to blunt head trauma. Here we present an unusual case of hydrostatic injury to the rectum and sigmoid colon due to exposure to a high-pressure jet stream of water in a passenger thrown from the rear of a PWC. In addition, a review of the literature of similar cases is briefly discussed. (Hong Kong j.emerg.med. 2014;21:322-325)

Informing policy on open water drowning prevention: an observational survey of life jacket use in Washington state

ObjectiveTo assess life jacket use among Washington State boaters and to examine the relationship between life jacket use and boating laws.MethodsA statewide observational survey of boaters was conducted between August...

A Case of Emphysema which Spread through the Mediastinum from an Anorectal Injury Caused by a Personal Watercraft Accident

A Case of Emphysema which Spread through the Mediastinum from an Anorectal Injury Caused by a Personal Watercraft Accident

Determining the leeway drift characteristics of tropical Pacific island craft

An accurate understanding of the leeway drift characteristics of drifting objects is required to effectively forecast the drift of persons, vessels or objects lost at sea, and to generate efficient search areas to maximise the probability of successfully locating those missing. Presently, the most effective method for calculating the leeway drift characteristics of an object or vessel is to empirically derive the leeway coefficients of that object through field studies. The main goal of the studies is to measure how the object drifts in relation to the surface currents, due to the wind and wave action upon it. This paper outlines the determination of downwind and crosswind leeway coefficients for three small craft common to Pacific island communities for which no accurate leeway coefficients exist. These craft were: a 19 foot (5.8 m) fibreglass skiff (known locally as pangas, fibres, or banana boats); a 20 foot (5.97 m) fibreglass outrigger canoe; and a 2-person sit down personal water craft (PWC). Due to the vast distances between pacific islands and the remoteness of these locations it can be several days until a search can be mounted to rescue those lost at sea, hence it is paramount that an accurate description of the drift of these tropical pacific craft is available for use in search and rescue (SAR) drift models, to define appropriate search areas. This study successfully derived the leeway coefficients required for each of these three craft. The leeway speed of the outrigger canoe and PWC, both with one person on board (POB) equivalent loading, were calculated to be 2.40% and 4.24% of the wind speed respectively. The leeway speed of the skiff was found to range between 7.71% and 4.40% of the wind speed for equivalent loading between 1 POB and 13 POB.The results of these field tests have subsequently been implemented into search and rescue models by several SAR organisations worldwide. These results show that the findings herein have the potential to both increase the likelihood of finding persons adrift at sea alive, as well as reducing search costs through more effective drift prediction and efficient search area formulation.

Acoustic signatures of small boats measured in controlled lake conditions

Measurements were conducted under controlled conditions at Lake Hopatcong, NJ, to compare acoustic signatures of various small boats. The tested boats included: an outboard-driven Panga, a multiple-outboard driven go-fast boat, an electric drive vessel, a personal watercraft (PWC), and two small outboard-driven rigid hull inflatable boats (RIBs). Stevens Passive Acoustic Detection System (SPADES) was used for acoustic measurements and the specially developed “Portable Vessel Data System” (PVDS) was used to record vessel position, speed, shaft RPM, and vessel orientation. Vessel acoustic Source Level measurements were conducted by comparing the recorded vessel acoustic signals with a signal generated by a calibrated emitter from the same point. Dependencies of acoustic signatures on boat speed and loading were also investigated. For several vessels, the Source Level decreased when its speed increased. Analysis of tonal components in the vessels acoustic signatures with Detection of Envelope Modulation on Noise (DEMON) allowed to determine the number of engines per boat and even the gear ratio for transformation of shaft rotation to the propeller rotation. [This work was supported by DHS S&T.]

The characteristics of boat noise in marine mammal habitats

Environmental management of underwater noise tends to focus on sources related to offshore oil and gas exploration and navy operations. However, in many, specifically near-shore habitats, boat noise prevails, yet remains largely unregulated. Underwater noise of personal watercraft (jet skis) was recorded in Queensland, and consisted of broadband energy between 100 Hz and 10 kHz attributed to the vibrating bubble cloud generated by the jet stream, overlain with frequency-modulated tonals corresponding to impeller blade rates and harmonics. Broadband monopole source levels were 149, 137, and 122dB re 1 μPa @ 1m (5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles). Underwater noise of zodiacs (inflatable boats with outboard motors) operated by whale-watching companies was recorded in southern British Columbia. At slow cruising speeds (10 km/h), underwater noise peaked between 50 and 300 Hz; at fast traveling speeds (55 km/h), underwater noise peaked between 100 and 3000 Hz, exhibiting strong propeller blade rate tonals at all speeds. Broadband source levels increased with speed from 126 to 170dB re 1 μPa @ 1m according to SL = 107 + 32 log10(speed/km/h). Even though noise levels from jetskis are lower than those of propeller-driven boats, it is not necessarily the broadband source level that correlates with the bioacoustic impact on marine fauna.

Underwater noise of small personal watercraft (jet skis)

Personal watercraft (water scooters, jet skis) were recorded under water in Bramble Bay, Queensland, Australia. Underwater noise emissions consisted of broadband energy between 100 Hz and 10 kHz due to the vibrating bubble cloud generated by the jet stream, overlain with frequency-modulated tonals corresponding to impeller blade rates and harmonics. Broadband monopole source levels were 149, 137, and 122 dB re 1 μPa @ 1 m (5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles). Even though these are lower than those of small propeller-driven boats, it is not necessarily the broadband source level that correlates with the bioacoustic impact on marine fauna.

小型船舶への無線電話の搭載と大型船との通信に関する考察-船舶共通通信システム導入後の現状-

The installation of a very high frequency (VHF) radiotelephone is required for ships with more than 100 tons of gross tonnage. However, in the case of the other small ships it was arbitrary. For that reason, it was difficult to install a VHF radiotelephone easily with a small ship, and to establish a mutual understanding by using a VHF radiotelephone between all ships. By partial revision of the Radio Law etc. in October, 2009, a VHF radiotelephone can be installed easier than before. In this study, first of all, these data were clarified and the actual condition by the field survey in a fishery cooperative association and a marina investigated the actual condition of the issue of radio operator license and radio station license using databases of Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Secondly, these data were acquired by conducting the experiment which used handy type of a VHF radiotelephone between GINGAMARU and TOBAMARU, NIPPONMARU and a personal water craft (for leisure). As a result, these revealed that the range which can communicate a VHF radiotelephone of handy type, and some remaining regulatory issues etc. are presented.