Take a calculated risk

You don't have to take unnecessary risks to chase the buzz. Follow all the safety rules even as you push your limits

You can never be toocareful with adventuresports, as last week'sparasailing accident inGoa proved. Just as talesof stupendous achievement and heroismbecome part of folklore and legendin adventure circles, so do narrativesof crucial errors and lapsesof judgment that resulted in horrifyingconsequences. Over theyears, I have heard severalaccounts of "mistakes" that ledto deaths but two instancesstand out.

One was a rafting accidentin which a girl drowned. She waspart of a group of tourists led bya river guide. Seated at the backof the raft, the guide steers while thepassengers' paddling propels it along.The guide is responsible for the clients'safety. The raft capsized while runninga large rapid. The golden ruleafter a capsize is to do a head countimmediately. Since everyone is wearinga life jacket, they float to the surface.The guide did the head count onlyafter a few minutes and realised oneperson was missing. He dove underthe raft, which was floating upsidedown, and found the girl stuck underit. Her foot was caught in the rope runningaround the rim of the raft andshe was struggling to free it.

Now came the river guide's secondmistake: he did not have the mandatoryknife in the chest pocket of his lifejacket. He could have sliced throughthe rope in a second. As it was, he wastedprecious seconds freeing her foot.By the time she was brought out, herlungs were full of water.

The second instance relates toparagliding. A tourist flying with a tandemparagliding pilot wasnot strapped into theharness correctly.It loosened inmid-flight and thepilot, unable to let goof the paraglider's risers(strings), watched helplesslyas the tourist fell to his death.

Rules exist for a reason
In these cases, it may have been theexperienced practitioner of the sporttaking along a tourist for a joyride whowas to blame. But there's another sideto it. Staffers of adventure companiescomplain that Indian clients oftenresist safety rules. There are instancesof people refusing to wear helmets,retorting, "It will be my skull that willbe broken, okay?" Women in sarisinsist on wearing paragliding harnesses,even though adventure companiesoffer them salwar suits and aplace to change.

The tourist who sets out to do anadventure activity is responsiblefor his own safety. Observing safetyrules, rather than flouting them,is an obvious and primary requisite.Wearing appropriateclothes and shoes, tucking hairout of the way, and removing jewelleryand watches are others. Itis also wise to check theantecedents of an adventure company,if possible.

Where's the compromise?
Price is a telling factor. If a companyquotes a competitive price, askwhere it is cutting costs.Compromise on food, accommodationand service is acceptablebut check that safety aspects arein order. An operator whoobserves safety proceduresincurs costs, which have to bepassed on to the client. Forinstance, there should be onesafety kayaker per raft sotwo rafts require two safetykayakers. It is in yourown interest to be waryof offers to bring downthe cost by havingone safety kayakerfor two rafts.

In addition torafting andparagliding, trekking and mountaineeringsee the most accidents.Indian trekkers and mountaineers tendto take chances. There is also an elementof human nature involved. Onceyou have gambled and emerged safely,you will gamble a little more thenext time. Ultimately, you push themargin of safety too far.

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Mountaineering lore is replete withinstances of climbers, reluctant to bedeclared unfit and ordered down themountain, hiding the fact that they aresuffering loss of appetite or headache the first symptoms of altitude-relatedillness. A cough cannot be hiddenbut even people with persistent coughingand blood-flecked sputum haveresisted teammates' urging to abandontheir summit attempts withdisastrous consequences.

The buck stops with you.