According to a recent story in Sail World, a British sailor wearing a lifejacket, harness, and tether is lucky to have lived through a harrowing ordeal when she was washed overboard 50 miles out to sea. Apparently snagged against the boat's hull underwater, Prudence Nash had to free herself of her equipment to reach the surface - and then successfully tread water for two hours until she was rescued.
Fortunately, she was alright. As for the lesson for rest of us, unfortunately it was not reported exactly why she had to remove her lifejacket to escape that dangerous situation. Did her tether not have a quick release shackle as is generally recommended for just such a situation, allowing you to free yourself from the tether without removing your harness or PFD? (This is also one of the reasons many experienced sailors keep a one-handed knife handy.) In any case, the episode should remind us all of the importance of our safety equipment - and being prepared for any eventuality.
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