ARKANSAS CANOE CLUB

Safety and Rescue Teaching Notes for Paddling Courses

Safety and rescue are our first focus simply because flipping and swimming is such a common part of whitewater paddling. Beginners flip from lack of skill, experienced paddlers flip as they push their own limits. The skills and knowledge listed are the minimum to be expected of competent paddlers on class 1 and 2 rivers.

ACC Instructors are encouraged to seek additional rescue training, both the new, one day Basic River Safety clinic and two day Swift Water Rescue courses are strongly recommended.

Much of this topic should be done before the class encounters moving water. It may be broken into shorter segments, spread over the first day, and reviewed on the second day. Total time should be about 90 minutes in the ACC weekend school.

Principles of Rescue The best rescue is the one never needed. Prevention of the accident is more effective than any rescue. We avoid trouble by being personally prepared with:

• General knowledge, experience, skills, situtation awareness and good judgment.
• Knowledge of each specific trip about the river, weather and access.
• Ability to recognize and avoid several specific hazards.
• Use of proper boats and good equipment.

1. Priorities - People, Boats, Gear (REQUIRED Topic in All Classes)
   When a rescue is necessary, get the people first. Go after boats, paddles, and other gear after the boaters are out of danger. Don't put yourself or others at risk to retrieve equipment.
   Don't create more victims.

    

2. Responsibilities of Victim
   1. Be Prepared with swimming ability, pfd, and self rescue practice.
   2. Self Rescue Quickly, don't depend on others to save you.
   3. Roll upright if possible quickly enough to avoid downstream hazards.
   4. If you swim, hold on to your paddle and boat and swim as discussed below.
   5. Be prepared to assist others who may come to your aid.

    

3. Responsibilities of Rescuers-Self, team, victim, KISS
   1. Prevention of more trouble is the key goal. Don't create more victims.
   2. Anticipate and Avoid Problems.
   3. Rescue Priorities are take care of yourself first, next take care of the rest of your team or group. Finally and only if you can do so safely, rescue the other victims. Get the people first, then the equipment later.
   4. Quick and Simple is often best. In river rescue, time is always a factor.
   5. KISS Principle: Try safest, simplest, speediest options first.
   6. Knowledge and Experience are much more important for effective Rescue than Equipment.

    
   See also the sections on Personal Preparedness, Equipment Preparedness, Group Prepardness, and River Rescue in the AW Safety Code.

Types of Rescue
In order of increasing risk the sequence of rescue is:S-ReThRoG

• S - is a multiple reminder- Self Rescue, or Survey Scence and Stay Safe.
• Re - Reach with your voice by yelling to the swimmer, this is the least danger to yourself. Next Reach with a paddle, boat or other long object than may be at hand.
• Th - Throw a rope or rescue sling to the victim and pull him to the bank.
• Ro - Row or paddle your boat to the victim, know your risk is higher than staying on the bank. You may not have to contact the victim, try just get closer so he can hear your instructions.
• G - Go. Swimming or wading is high risk. Requires advanced training and even then is best done with special aids such a floats, fins, and rescue slings. Again getting close enough to give instructions or to throw a float or rescue sling is better than direct contact.
• This sequence may be altered for medical considerations of the victim or comfort and safety levels due to skill of the rescuer.

One and two day rescue courses are offered that include training and practice in these and other areas. In our weekend ACC school, the emphasis is on a few quick, simple rescues. Instructors should demonstrate all of these and should expect all students to fully participate as spills and swims are common when paddling white water.

Proceed on the guidelines of "Learn by Doing" and "Challenge by Choice."

1. Self-Rescue in moving current (REQUIRED Topic in All Classes)
   Self Rescue Quickly, don't wait for others to save you.
   If you can roll before being carried into a hazard, do so.
   • Body and boat positions if you don't roll; Hold on to your paddle when you go over. Hold on to your boat and get to the upstream end so you won't be crushed between boat and strainer or rock. Use grap loops or full length of painter to swim boat to eddy or safe bank. Throw paddle toward bank if it will help your swimming.

      

   • Release your boat only if doing so improves your chances of reaching safety. When in obstructed rapids, lie on your back, feet downstream and high. When the rapids are deeper, roll over onto your stomach and swim aggessively for shore. In shallow moving water, foot entrapment is possible and has serious conquensences, guideline is "crawl before you walk." When you reach shore, signal to your group by tapping helmet to say "I'm OK".

    

2. Boat Assisted Rescue is one in which a fellow paddler in a boat assists a boater who has capsized, helping swimmer and his equipment to shore. Four common events are:
   • Tired Swimmer may be assisted by placing the stern grab loop for him to grasp with one hand while he holds his paddle and boat with the other hand. Approach swimmer with caution and tell him what to do. Direct swimmer into a "crab" carry on the stern of either canoe or kayak--hands on grap loop and feet out of the water on gunwhales or deck. A kayak has the option of swimmer sliding up on stern or bow deck, hands on paddlers waist, and feet extended over or in water. Volume of bow and stern will affect which is more effective, varies with boat design.

      

   • Towing of boat after swimmer is safe is done by holding a painter under canoe paddler knee, or with quick release equipment. Never tie to boat or swimmer on moving water.

      

   • Bumping or bull dozing is most common form of assistance if the swimmer is safe. When recovering boats and gear, try to push by hand or throw to shore. Pushing the boat with another boat requires that the rescuer maintain the capsized boat's ferry angle.

      

   • Boat over Boat rescue requires a little more time and is best done in calmer water. Send the swimmer to far end of capsized boat, position capsized boat perpendicular to center of the rescue boat. Swimmer depress his end to help break airlock while rescuer lifts his end and pulls up and over the rescue boat. Center to level and drain water, roll upright, and keep control while returning empty boat to river.

      
     Easiest re-entry is by using a rescue sling across victim boat for swimmer to step in like a stirrup on a saddle. Without a sling, the rescuer holds cockpit edge or gunwhale while swimmer climbs in, canoe paddler can swing one leg into a victim canoe to stabilize while assisting swimmer by pulling shoulder straps. If you are not familar with these techniques, please contact one of club's SWR instructors for explaination.

    

3. Shoreline Rescue - Extension Rescues
   • Use of Throw Bags/Ropes
     When receiving a throw rope: Face down river, hold rope on your chest and over the shoulder opposite the rescuer. Keep your feet up, toes out of water, hold on to paddle and boat if possible. Arching your back lessens the load and speeds the retrieval.

      
     When throwing the rope: Choose a location that will allow the swimmer a safe landing. Don't tie in to the rope. Only one person throws at a time. Establish contact with swimmer prior to throw, does he want the rope? Hit the swimmer with the rope. Hold on and prepare for serious force when the line loads. Pendulum or reel in swimmer as quickly as possible. Demo standing belay, sitting belay, buddy belay, friction bend, and vectoring the line solo and with help.

   • Pinned Craft- two situtations
     • Broaching- center and end to end pins - all craft are susceptable, but common for larger canoes without floation. Pins are actually strainers and can be surprisingly dangerous even in mild current. Approach from downstream or one side. Try lifting one end first, before pulling or pushing one end upstream, or rolling to see which way it will most easy move. Be aware that is may move or shift without warning. Haul lines are usually not needed and are covered in other courses.

        

     • Vertical pins are often unstable and may involve a trapped victim. These pins are becoming more common with shorter boats and steeper drops. A stabilization line is used if the paddler is trapped a vertical pin. Usually you remove a vertically pinned boat by pulling it back upstream. If this doesn't work, the stern can be push or pulled downstream, flipping the boat end over end. Haul lines are used either way and require additional training, equipment and practice.

Reference Materials:

• Catch Every Eddy Surf Every Wave, pages 215-229. Foster & Kelly, 1995
• ACA Kayak and Canoe Instruction Manual, pages 85-92, Guillion, 1987
• AW Safety Code Section IV
• Swiftwater Rescue, Slim Ray, CFS Press, 1997.
• Whitewater Rescue Manual, Walbridge and Sundmacher, Ragged Mountain Press, 1995
• River Rescue, Bechdel and Ray, Appalahian Mountain Club Books, 1989
• Video: Whitewater Self Defense, Performance Video, 1998
• ACA Basic River Safety Course Outline, 2000