April 2007

How a Leatherman saved my life

Dear Leatherman

I have a Leatherman super tool 200 that I have carried for several years.

Until I retired last year I owned and operated Bristol Yacht Service in Madisonville, La.

In Aug. of 2004 I was working on a sailboat in Marina Del Ray at Madisonville. I was installing a engine shift and throttle assembly. I was working in a cockpit locker installing the shift and throttle cables. When I completed the work I placed my tools and cell phone on the cockpit seat above me.Just as I started to exit the locker a gust of wind closed the hatch and it locked. Imagine this a small closed cockpit locker in the midafternoon in aug. in south La. The outside temperature was around 97 and much higher inside the locker.

After checking the hatch and finding it locked I started looking for something to break the lock with, which as stated I had placed my tools outside the locker.
Then I realized I had my Leatherman, at first I tried to use it as a crow bar and break the lock but I did not have enough leverage. After looking the situation over I saw that the locker lead past the engine to a forward hatch, but there was not enough clearance for me to get by the engine.

I started to use my Leatherman to remove components from the side of the engine ( air cleaner, fuel filter ect. ) after about an hour I was able to remove enough parts to squeeze past the engine with the loss of a tee shirt and some skin get to the forward hatch and escape.

I do believe that my Leatherman saved my life that day.

Thank You for making such a fine and sturdy tool.

Ron L