Swiftwater Rescue

A two day A.C.A. Workshop

Course Overview

This workshop teaches

• recognition and avoidance of common river hazards,
• execution of self-rescue techniques,
• and rescue techniques of paddlers in distress.

Emphasis is placed both

• on personal safety
• and on simple, commonly used skills.

Techniques for dealing with hazards that carry greater risks for both victim and rescuer also are practiced, such as

• strainers,
• rescue vest applications,
• entrapments,
• and pins.

Scenarios will provide an opportunity for participants to practice their skill both individually and within a team/group context.

Course Objectives

• Promote proactive prevention of river accidents and injuries
• Develop and practice key self-rescue skills
• Identify and avoid river hazards by understanding hydrology, hazards, and river features.
• Focus on fast, low-risk strategies for early management of river accidents
• Develop and practice methods for recovering swimmers, and loose boats and equipment.
• Develop and practice more advanced rope-based and in-water skills.
• Gain experience using the rescue PFD, and understand it's strengths and weaknesses
• Utilize rescue scene control principles needed within a paddling group

Participant Qualifications

• All Paddle craft are welcome
• To fully participate, students should be able to competently maneuver their craft in at least class II whitewater.
• However, all boaters, and non-boaters with an interest in swiftwater rescue (e.g. professional rescuers), will benefit from the class.
• Participants should be:
  • in good health
  • and overall fitness
  • possess solid swimming ability,
  • and be comfortable swimming in moving current during river drills.
• Participants should
  • dress appropriately for weather and temperature
  • and expect to be in the water for extended periods of time.

Minimum personal equipment for class

• PFD designed for whitewater use
• whitewater helmet
• protective clothing suitable for extended swiming in cold water
• protective footweat
• boat
• paddle
• whistle
• and throw rope
• 15+ feet of one inch tubular nylon webbing
• two locking carabiners
• and two prusick loops

Course Duration Two Days (16-18 hours).

Location A chute of water with deep, clean wave action, well-defined eddy lines and no immediate hazards or risks below. Ideally, the site should contain class II rapids, although it may be taught on less difficult rapids. Protected space is needed for on-land work, with adequate shelter for inclement weather.

Successive Classes: Advanced Swiftwater Rescue.

1. Introduction (15 mininutes) 15 cummulative minutes

• Welcome
• Introduction and expectations.
• Class Overview
• Waivers and medical forms
• Safety plan, "challenge by choice" approach
• Site logistics(bathrooms, food and drink policies, no controlled substances...)
• ACA overview

2. Rescue Philosophy (40 mininutes) 55 cummulative minutes

• Accident avoidance and proactive rescue
  • Accident timeline
  • Prevention and "what if...? strategy
  • Prior planning for accident management
• Priorities
  • Me, my group, bystanders, the victim
  • Simple and fast to complex and slow
• Liability and Ethical issues
  • negligence, duty to act , breach of duty, harm, standard of care, abandonment
  • moral vs. legal obligation to act
  • trip leader vs. common adventurer
• Trip Organization
  • lead and sweep
  • know the group, the river and the weather
  • plan the trip and communicate the plan

3. Scene Management (25 mininutes) 80 cummulative minutes

• Locate, Access and assess, Stabilize, and Transort
• Prioritizing the rescue
• Most rescues are performed quickly, without a formal structure
• Larger groups and longer rescues often need structure
• Incident Command structure
  • Leader
  • Safety
  • Rescuer
  • additional roles-medic, rigger, runner
• Complete the rescue without compounding the situation
• Communication (AW signals)
  • Hand and whistle signals
  • Cell phone or radio if appropriate

4. Medical Issues (5 minutes) 85 cummulative minutes

• Not a first aid class; perform medical care to your level of training
• Don't make the situation worse
• Obtain more training; calling 911 is rarely an effective option
• Rescuers should be familiar with common medical problems including
  • hypothermia
  • drowning
  • cuts and scrapes
  • and dislocationss/broken bones
• CPR and Wilderness First Aid skills are essential for rescuers

5. Equipment (30 mininutes) 115 cummulative minutes

Protection from rocks and water

shoes, helmet, PFD

Thermal protection

Wet suit vs dry suit

Wool vs synthetics

avoid cotton in cold or wet conditions

Personal Rescue Gear

boat, paddle

whistle, throw rope

knife, saw

first aid kit, rescue PFD

Group Rescue Gear

survival kit, haul rope, communications,...

specific needs depend on the river paddled and local weather

Survial equipment

food, water

extra clothing, shelter

fire making supplies

specific needs depend on the river paddled and local weather

6. Rescue Vest (20 mininutes) 135

• multi-use rescue tool
• Components of the vest
  • sewn in harness
  • quick release buckle
  • belt
• hazards of the vest
  • buckle jam
  • ---(avoid by correct release, smooth belt end and appropriate belt length)
  • cross lock harnesss and belt
  • ---(avoid by suing only locked carabiners
  • in-water risk exposure
  • ---(avoid by practicing and recognizing limits)
• communications
  • one hand in air means "help me"
• applications
  • anchor and belay
  • towing
  • personal extrication
  • V-lower and direct lower
  • live bait (preset and "on the fly")
  • uses limited only by your imagination

7. Throw Ropes (50 mininutes) 185

• Selection based on rope material, diameter, and length
• Care of the rescue rope.
  • avoid sun exposure
  • keep clean
  • avoid stepping o the line
  • avoid sharp edges
  • when in doubt, replace the line
• Rope Safety
  • avoid standing over lines
  • avoid tensioning lines perpendicular to current
  • keep your body out of loops in the line
• Throwing and recovery zones.
  • consider where the victim will land,
  • don't make their situation worse
• types of throws
  • over-arm (football and arc)
  • underarm
  • side-arm
• factors impacting an accurate throw
  • rope length and diameter
  • brush and trees
  • footing
  • distance to target
  • cold hands
  • practice
• Receiving the rope
  • hold over your shoulder, with hands on your chest
  • rope should sit on the shoulder opposite the target shore (to set ferry angle)
• Belay techniques
  • hip belay
  • sitting
  • buddy
  • dynamic
  • tree
  • line on downstream side
• coiling and rethrowing
• vector pull to assist landing
• stuffing techniques
• multiple swimmers

8. Line Ferries and Line Crossings (15 mininutes)

• How do you get a line across the river?
• essential skill for many rope-based resces
• General principles
  • look for narrow areas
  • look for clear throwing zones
  • establish a line catcher
  • keep the line as high as possible
  • upstream safety and downstream safety vital
• throwing techniques
  • direct throw
  • buddy throw
  • messenger line
• boating, swimming, and wading techniques
  • use reverse pendulum whenever possible, keep line out of water
  • downstream loop
  • rescue vest
• Simple line crossings
  • pendulum
  • ---(can be done with multiple people, vector pull speeds the pendulum)
  • hand over hand tag line
  • ---(hard in fast water, excellent wading assist)

9. Knots (60 mininutes) 260

• Components of a good knot
  • recognizable form
  • strong
  • easy to tine and untie
  • minimal rope use
• terminology
  • standing and running ends
  • bights
  • loops
• key actions
  • set
  • dressed
  • backed up
• figure eight family
  • strong
  • easily tied and recognized
  • fundamental rescue knots
    • figure 8
    • figure i on a bight
    • figure 8 follow thourgh
    • ---(as both a loop and a bend)
    • double eye figure 8
    • in line figure 8
• additional import knot
  • "no knot" (friction hitch)
  • butterfly knot
  • blowline
  • water knot (for webbing)
  • double fisherman's bend
  • prusick
• many other knots available, these form the foundation of river rescue.

10. Anchors (30 mininutes) 290

• foundation for many advanced skills
• places teamat higher risk; consider what happens if the anchor fails
• good anchors
  • can hold the load
  • are close to the load, and in line with it (anchor-belayer-climber concept)
  • can be attached to a houl line
• General concepts
  • stay low to the ground
  • Pad, or better yet, avoid friction points
  • consider what happens if the anchor fails
  • internal angle ideally less than 90 degrees
  • hard on soft, soft on hart
• One point anchors
  • "no-knot"
  • simple loop
  • 3 bight
• Two point anchors
  • use with marginal anchors, when a live load is attached, and just on general principles
  • load distribution and self-equalizing loop
  • expect the load to move

11. Mechanical Advantage (45 mininutes) 335

• key for advanced unpinning techniques and rope rescues
• places team at higher risk, takes time, and is complex
• safety rules
  • use dampers when possible
  • use brakes when possible
  • stay out of the line of fire
  • pull with your back towards likely failure point, wearing PFD and helmet
  • consider directional changes
• ten boy scouts
• vector pull
  • good for MA, bad for anchors
• 3:1 (Z-Drag)
• 2:1

12. Pins (20 mininutes) 355

• Avoid getting pinned or entrapped by recognizing hazards
• Pin mechanics
  • balance between gravity, friction and force of water
• Types of pins
  • vertical
  • center broach
  • end to end
  • pinch pin
• release by unbalancing forces
• tag line on boat for recovery after release
  • consider what happens when the boat releases
• stabilization line to support trapped victim
• cinch line techniques may be helpful for pinned gear
• self rescue
  • avoidance
  • high side to avoid invertig
  • wiggle off the rock
  • bail out
• if all participants are safe, waiting for low water may be a viable option
• advanced techniques
  • hull wraps/Steve Thomas rope trick
  • raft tacos

13. Entrapment (10 mininutes) 365

• high risk; hands-on rescue places rescuers near the entrapping object
• most commonly foot entrapments, strainers, or trapped in a boat
• ----avoid by hazard recognition and appropriate swimming techniques
• keep victim heads up with stabilization line
• snag line to release foot entrapments
• cinch line as a last resort

14. Stabilization, snag, and cinch lines (60 mininutes) 425

• Upstream and downstream safety is essential
• Consider what happens when the victim is freed; consider pre-set live bait
• Fundamental tool for entrapment and pin rescues
• Stabilization line
  • supports trapped victim
  • set a sharp downstream pointing V in the line for optimal support
  • line ideally should be under armpits and support victim in heads up position
• Snag line
  • line designed to release a foot entrapment
  • tensioned and deep
  • may need to be weighted
• Cinch lines
  • designed to wrap about victim and maintain control
  • takes more time and practice
  • victim is at much higher risk-last resort technique
  • very useful for pinned gear
  • simple cinch
  • Kiwi stabilization line/cinch

15. Hazards and Hydrology (20 mininutes) 445

• rivers are powerful, predictable and persistent
• subjective vs. objective hazards
  • poor judgement can be fatal
  • river hazards don't care if you don't recognize them
  • flooding dramatically increases risk
• water reading (upstream and downstream Vs)
• eddies and eddy lines
• waves
• hydraulics
• strainers
• horizon lines
• undercut rocks, broaching rocks
• foot entrapment risks

16. Swimming (60 mininutes) 505

• Essential self rescue and access tool
• Safe eddy rule, don't try to stand in swift current
• defensive and aggresssive swimming
• ----breathing techniques
• defensive to aggressive transitions
• crossing eddy lines
• ferry techniques
• swiftwater entries
  • modified belly flop
  • set ferry angle
  • protect face with crossed arms
• managing holes and drops

17.Strainers (30 mininutes) 535

• lethal hazard, common cause of river fatalities
• may appear benign (it's just a tree...)
• potential approaches
  • avoid (best)
  • aggressively swim into and over (best if can't be avoided
  • defensive and/or passive (fatal)

18. Wading (50 mininutes) 595

• Safe eddy rule
• Swim instead of fighting for marginal footing
• water depth, water speed, bottom conditions affect performance
• maintain balance
• "Look with your toes"
• one person with paddle/prop
• two person
• wedge
• line astern

19. Boat Based rescue (75 mininutes) 670

• Often fastest and easiest technique for boaters, but potentially high risk
• many uses for boats
  • ferries for people and equipment
  • tool to sprint for help
• Paddle recovery
  • throw
  • two paddles in hand
  • put in your boat
• boat recovery
  • bulldozer or shove
  • set a ferry angle
• self rescue
  • hold boat and paddle in one hand when swimming with gear
  • set a ferry angle
  • boat stays downstream of victim
• swimmer rescues and assists
  • Hand of God rescue
  • assisting victims back into boats
  • strengths and limitations of canoes, kayaks, and rafts
  • stern and bow tows

20. Live bait rescues (45 mininutes) 715

• high risk for rescuer, but fast and simple
• requires rescue swimmer, rescue vest, locking carabiner, throw rope and belayer
• victim psychology
  • normal: able to assist in their own rescue
  • panicked / aggressive: extemely dangerous
  • near (or counter) panic: initially nearly unresponsive, then becomes panicked
  • unresponsive: assume C-spine injury for unconscious victims
• timing for water entry is key, and takes practice
  • hold 10 to 20 feet of rop on entry (toss downstream)
  • time entry so as to ferry directly to victim
  • avoid hovering
• speak to victim
  • splash and back away for self protection
  • rescuer safety is highest priority
• turn victim and hold to PFD, or execute cross shest or suft carry
• rescuer and victim belayed in to shore
  • V-puller on shore helpful

21. Contact Rescues and C-spine control (30 mininutes) 745

• fast, simple, extremely risky
• very difficult to swim victim to shore
  • redundant downstream safety is essential
  • requires near-competitive swimming ability
• recommended only for unconscious victims where no other option exists
• Maintain in-line c-spine
• bring victim face up with cradle or rotation methods and get help

22. V-lowers (60 mininutes) 805

• slower, higher risk, more comples
• requires two belay teams, rescue vest, rescue swimmer, locking carabiner and two throw ropes
• allows direct maneuvering to rescue location
• hand signals and safety plan
• arching back to plane
• single rope technique for direct lower
• higher water volumes and deeper conditions can overwhelm the rescuer

23. Scenarios (60 mininutes)

• managing common river problems, including multiple swimmers and loose gear
• debriefing to reinforce rescue priorities

24. Closing (10 mininutes)

• opportunities for additional training
• recommend first aid training
• continue to practice skills-this is just the beginning!
• avoiding incidents is far better than reacting to them

Times shown are estimated total teaching times for each part. Instructors and students should expect actual times to vary depending on the site, weather, number of sessions over which a class is spread, number of switches between on-water and off water in any given session , and the students' interest, abilities and experience.

Resources

Whitewater Rescue Manual

Charles Walbridge and Wayne Sundmacher, 1995

Swiftwater Rescue

Slim Ray, 1997

River Rescue

Les Bechdel and Slim Ray, 1989

Heads Up

Video

Whitewater Self Defense

Video by Performance Video, 1998

River Safety Reports

ACA, Walbridge various years