Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - Accidents & Injuries

Report Accidents and Injuries

Author

Does INTERNATIONAL WHISTLE CODE exist?

George

16-Jan-2011
8:04:35 PM

G'day All,
i've bought a whistle for when in bush. i read the back of the package. it explains INTERNATIONAL WHISTLE CODE (guess its for personal whistle use only obviously, not for Vessel, nor for train.) The brand is Fox 40, made in Canada. Web:www.fox40world.com
Do you think that this is the code agreed, or recognized, or practically used internationally?
It says;
One Blast: "Where are you?"
Two Blast: "Come to me."
Three Blast: "I need help!"
If you hear any of these signals, respond with one blast. Each blast should last 3 seconds.

simey

16-Jan-2011
8:31:13 PM

Eduardo gives three blasts on his whistle throughout every climb he starts up. Sometimes he gives three blasts at the point of tying in.


nmonteith

16-Jan-2011
9:04:11 PM

I was taught by my parents that three cooees was a sign of distress.

stewie

16-Jan-2011
9:31:01 PM

Three of anything is internationally recognised as a signal of distress. Three fires in a triangle, three rifle shots, three whistle blasts or three flashes of light. You just keep repeating at a regular interval i.e. Three whistle blasts every minute.
It also helps the search party find you, as it allows the team to stop and listen and constantly adjust direction towards the person or persons requiring assistance.

I recommend John Wiseman's book "The SAS survival handbook" or some of the rescue resources on the Emergency Management Australia site, ema.gov.au if you want to learn more.


Miguel75

16-Jan-2011
9:31:28 PM

I was also taught three blasts = help

Sally

17-Jan-2011
7:08:04 AM

In the lid of my deuter pack it says 6 whistle/ mirror, camera falsh etc then a rest of one minute is a call for emergency help and that 3 flashes/ whistles then 1 min break is the reply.


climbau

17-Jan-2011
8:19:16 AM

Depends on if you want to use the North American International Whistle Code or the European International Whistle Code??


deadbudgy

17-Jan-2011
9:30:01 AM

You can get John 'Lofty' Wiseman's book as an iPhone app now. Complete with instructional videos staring Lofty himself. Best app ever.

George

17-Jan-2011
3:34:53 PM

Thanks for your responses.
Sorry i am making a worst case senario, tho i have had many of near-miss experiences of my own and witnessed of others at ie: Pt Perp and Mt Ku-Ring-Gai.
If one of my holds comes off while climbing in Australia, hits my dearest mate who is belaying me, and knocks him down, i should make 3 cooees, or 3 whitle blasts to signal for urgent help.
In Aussie land most climbers recognize what it means if they are within cooee or within the reach of whistle's blast.
Some from overseas may not recognize it.


nmonteith

17-Jan-2011
3:38:47 PM

Why do you think we dial 000 in an emergency?

George

19-Jan-2011
12:20:36 AM

On 17/01/2011 nmonteith wrote:
>Why do you think we dial 000 in an emergency?
If i'm stranded at middle of cliff and cannot use my phone.
If i drop my phone while on rope because i upset too much.
once I dropped one of Walkie-Talkies of my mate from the top of 3P of Bunny BB while top belaying. it didn't have anything to tying in.
my phone didn't have a good coverage at Pierces Pass. sometimes off sometimes on.
I once stepped on my handset while belaying and it died instantly. So i've got a cover for the new one. On the other day my new handset had flat battery in the early afternoon even I had charged it overnight. Although i'm not talking over the phone often at the crag, the battery life is until the evening normally. I'm sure the battery life becomes shorter than this if i use it to talk often to 000. so i am thinking to buy a spare battery or two.
Need to think some back ups all the time while keeping my weight minimum.

George

19-Jan-2011
12:26:34 AM

>the rescue resources on the Emergency Management Australia site, ema.gov.au

i could not find any info from the site. Well hidden.

George

19-Jan-2011
12:33:01 AM

On 17/01/2011 Sally wrote:
>In the lid of my deuter pack it says 6 whistle/ mirror, camera falsh etc
>then a rest of one minute is a call for emergency help and that 3 flashes/
>whistles then 1 min break is the reply.
deuter pack means USA brand? So does it North American International Whistle Code?

George

19-Jan-2011
12:35:20 AM

On 17/01/2011 climbau wrote:
>Depends on if you want to use the North American International Whistle
>Code or the European International Whistle Code??

So obviously that I read from Fox 40 was Canadian International Whistle Code.

One Day Hero

19-Jan-2011
1:06:43 AM

On 19/01/2011 George wrote:
>If i'm stranded at middle of cliff and cannot use my phone.
>If i drop my phone while on rope because i upset too much.
>once I dropped one of Walkie-Talkies of my mate from the top of 3P of
>Bunny BB while top belaying. it didn't have anything to tying in.
>my phone didn't have a good coverage at Pierces Pass. sometimes off sometimes
>on.
>I once stepped on my handset while belaying and it died instantly. So
>i've got a cover for the new one. On the other day my new handset had flat
>battery in the early afternoon even I had charged it overnight. Although
>i'm not talking over the phone often at the crag, the battery life is until
>the evening normally. I'm sure the battery life becomes shorter than this
>if i use it to talk often to 000. so i am thinking to buy a spare battery
>or two.
>Need to think some back ups all the time while keeping my weight minimum.

Climbing with George = HUDT 31


jkane

19-Jan-2011
12:46:29 PM

On 19/01/2011 George wrote:
>On 17/01/2011 Sally wrote:
>>In the lid of my deuter pack it says 6 whistle/ mirror, camera falsh
>etc
>>then a rest of one minute is a call for emergency help and that 3 flashes/
>>whistles then 1 min break is the reply.
>deuter pack means USA brand? So does it North American International Whistle
>Code?

I thought Deuter was German but I could be way off. I'm from the UK and was taught the following as an SOS using a whistle

6 blasts at 10 second intervals
Wait 60s
Repeat

Can't remember if there was a reply

So I think this (6 blasts/minute) might be the European code. Of course you could also use morse code for SOS
dot dot dot dash dash dash dot dot dot
(using short and long blasts) does this still get taught in Scouts/military etc?

Sally

20-Jan-2011
7:22:31 AM

I did a quick Google and 3 is North american and 6 is Euro.
Both call them "international"
I guess we have no Standard and a blowing whistle etc is a good indication of trouble regardless of number.

widewetandslippery

20-Jan-2011
7:26:03 AM

I'm really bad at whistling. I think I'd yell help.

Richard Delaney

20-Jan-2011
8:01:45 AM

I'd go with three.
It probably comes from the morse code for SOS dit dit dit dah dah dah dit dit dit.

Whistle calls are a pain in the .... and there is no standard anything.
NSW vertical rescue crews use one blast - stop, two blasts - lift up, one longer and falling blast - lower.


climbau

20-Jan-2011
9:15:23 AM

On 20/01/2011 Richard Delaney wrote:
>I'd go with three.
>It probably comes from the morse code for SOS dit dit dit dah dah dah
>dit dit dit.
>
>Whistle calls are a pain in the .... and there is no standard anything.
>NSW vertical rescue crews use one blast - stop, two blasts - lift up,
>one longer and falling blast - lower.

I think the above hails from the Cranes and Lifting industry. Much more traditional need for alternative forms of communication other than Radios and rope tugs.

There are 24 messages in this topic.