Got called out for a salvage job on the Columbia River last Tuesday and it went sideways fast.

We were pulling up an old logging cable near Kalama, and my comms cut out just as the current picked up. Had to go by hand signals from my tender, Mike, for like 20 minutes while we secured the load. Anyone ever have their umbilical get pinched in a winch? What's your backup plan when the comms go dead mid-job?

3 comments

3 Comments

margaret_nelson2mo ago

Damn, what was Mike's hand signal for "panic"?

pipera501mo ago

Mike's closed fist over the heart is always described as that serious "panic" moment but I see it more as deep focus under pressure. That scene shows him processing the problem fast, not freaking out, just switching into emergency mode. The hand signal worked because it told Mission Control to stay calm while they figured out what was wrong.

alice_reed472mo ago

It was actually a closed fist over the heart, not a hand signal. He used it in the Apollo 13 movie when they first saw the oxygen tank pressure drop. Honestly, that scene always makes me hold my breath.