This course is a must for Swiftwater
Technicians. Whitewater sports have increased dramatically over the
last decade. As a result, more and more local SAR groups and law
enforcement agencies are dealing with rescue and search in whitewater
streams.
This course is particularly appropriate for those who have
the responsibility to coordinate and manage rescues and searches in the
whitewater environment. The training also has a specific focus on
safety for rescuers. The program provides practical hands on training
labs in both a swimming pool and whitewater river.
Basic Essentials in the Classroom:
- Whitewater hydrology and river features: videos and power point
- Effective organization for river rescue
- River rescue techniques: videos, power point and slide presentations
- Actual Rescue Case Studies: videos, PowerPoint and 35 MM slide show
- Pre-planning for river rescue
- Communications and signaling techniques during a rescue
- Knots and technical gear
- Dealing with family and bystanders
- Rescuer safety
- Helicopter safety issues
- Managing teams in a flood rescue site
- Low-head dam rescue
Pool Session: Demonstration and Practice
- On-scene command orientation
- Rescue throw bag
- Shore-based rescue
- Stabilization line
- Snag line demo and practice
- Using raft as a rescue platform
- Raft-based rescue
Rescue Training on the River
- Demonstrate Swimming Skills:
- Basic swimming position
- Swimming ferry, backstroke
- Swimming ferry, crawl upstream
- Forward swimming over obstacles
- Eddy catching
- Shallow Water Wading to Reach the Victim or Cross the River:
- With paddle
- Two rescuers
- Triangle, "people pivot”
- The wedge
- Carrying a Stokes litter
- Rescue Throw Bag Skills:
- Rescue throw bags toss
- Rescue throw bags filled with water toss
- Rescue throw bag line toss
- Foot Entrapment Drill:
- Stabilization line
- Snag line
- Cinch line
- Getting a Line Across the River:
- Swimming a line across the river
- Continuous loop crossing
- Contact Rescues:
- Self-protection drill
- “Live bait rescue"
- V lower-tethered swimmer
- Raft Based Rescues:
- Direct lower
- Team/shore lower
- Establishing a Shore Based Rescue:
- Anchors
- Tensioning systems and Z-drag
- Unwrapping Boats or Swimmers:
- Mechanical advantage
- Ideal angle of pull
- Vector pull
- Rescue Problems:
- Numerous rescue problems to solve
- Practical Medical Problems:
- Victim with a C-spine problem