Carelessness Can Kill

It was sad and sobering to read about the sinking boat in Halong Bay in Vietnam that killed 12 people. Today's report pin pointed the reason for the boat sinking to a hole that was left unplugged. The hole that drains out water from the engine area works when the boat is moving. When anchored, the hole left unplugged, allows water to seep in and eventually sink the boat. The people who drowned never had a chance as the boat sank while they were sleeping. "Human error" was reported as the cause of the tragic accident.

I remember a personal experience with leaving holes unplugged while I was learning to sail. Having passed the beginner's course, some of us went back to practice sailing so we would not forget what we had learnt. But even then, I did. As we sailed out on the Picolo (boat for 2 sailors), we enjoyed the feel of the wind and the feel of independence (no instructor). After awhile, we wondered why we were rolling from side to side and realised that the boat was slowly sinking as water collected in its hull. We signaled that we were in trouble and to our embarrassment (and his), it was our instructor who came to our aid. A "real" sailor jumped into our boat and sailed it safely back to shore while we scrambled onto the safety speed boat. Red faced, we had the task of draining out the water from the hull. I had forgotten to replace the bung that would have prevented water seeping into the hull. It took half an hour to drain the hull. We never sailed on our own again. My "human error" could have resulted in a nasty accident. Thank God, we escaped with just a huge dose of embarrassment!

Carelessness can kill and in the instance of the Halong Bay accident, it did. I am now determined to double check whatever I do to minimize "human error" - mine. If there is anything I would like to teach, I think I would like to teach children to be careful. I would like to teach them to be meticulous, demanding a sense of care and carefulness in whatever they do. Perhaps, we can help to cut down "human error" and save lives.

I pray that the pilot flying the plane I am in is careful. I pray the surgeon operating on me is meticulous. I pray that the mechanic attending to my car is not careless in even checking a screw. Carelessness can kill. This is what I would like to teach.

I thank God that He was not careless when He created the earth and us.