How NOT to do a swiftwater rescue (video from Spokane River)

**RootSkier** · 03-28-2007, 04:36 PM

Check out these asshats.

http://www.krem.com/sharedcontent/Vi...1433&catId=218

So glad it had a happy ending despite the obvious incompetence of whoever was in charge.

**sar13** · 03-28-2007, 05:17 PM

Those guys should not even be allowed near a river.

**gh444** · 03-28-2007, 05:20 PM

jesus f in christ.

-aaron

**Chemical Ali' The Wax Master** · 03-28-2007, 05:29 PM

DEAD BODIES FLOATING

**moose pit** · 03-28-2007, 05:47 PM

**summit** · 03-28-2007, 05:48 PM

The raft was a stupid idea. There was no good way to get the patient in it and even if he did, there was a great potential for the rescuer to lose control of the raft or the patient to take a drink.

This resulted in the patient being in the water longer than necessary increasing hypothermia and risking her going downstream (like if she had lost her grip when the rescuer was distracted trying to roll the kayak). Luckily that didn't happen.

Getting there in a kayak was not a bad idea but if you are going to tow someone out with a kayak DON'T HAVE THEM TRY TO SIT ON YOUR BOW. Maybe a river guide will chime in here since I've seen them use kayaks for safey on raft trips (not roped to shore), but as a SRT we weren't really taught roped in on a kayak as a rescue technique.

I didn't see if the go rescuer was wearing a livebait PFD or if he was inescapably tied in.

He tipped, ejected, ditched theh boat and paddle... good resolution... got himself back upstream and grabbed her... good...

Poor patient management. He should have spun her around once he grabbed her and faced her downstream, instead of facing her upstream inviting the river to flow down her throat.

They got her out and no rescuers were hurt. I've seen much worse.

**mrryde** · 03-28-2007, 06:03 PM

holy crap that hurt to watch. where did that mostly deflated raft come from? there must have been a much better way.

**Chemical Ali' The Wax Master** · 03-28-2007, 06:10 PM

people are stupid. that is why the earth is going to puke us out of existence.

**RootSkier** · 03-28-2007, 06:22 PM

As pointed out on Boatertalk, this dude in the playboat is in fact wearing a rescue PFD equipped with a quick release, for tying into these sorts of rescue situations.

However, it appears this brave rescuer is not using this feature, but instead, HAS THE ROPE TIED TO HIS GRAB LOOP.

It would be funny if it wasn't a life and death situation.

**summit** · 03-28-2007, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by RootSkier

However, it appears this brave rescuer is not using this feature, but instead, HAS THE ROPE TIED TO HIS GRAB LOOP.

Ugh... suicidally dumb...

The patient was out of the water, wearing a PFD, apparently quite with it, and sitting on what looks like a fairly stable feature. I don't see why they went with a hasty, risky, and poorly executed plan (that did work). There are better and safer ways especially when you have time.

**leroy jenkins** · 03-28-2007, 06:48 PM

There are so many little details in this video that just scream "I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING".

Look at the way the guy in the kayak is wearing his helmet, all tilted back on his head. It doesn't look like he's quite got the straps on his pfd tight either, when he swims it rides up higher than it should. It looks like not only does this guy not know whats up with rescuing someone, he doesn't even know how to kayak. The fact that he can't even manage to roll in fucking flat water kinda proves that.

I was expecting it to pan out to show a couple amatuers onshore, and good on them for doing what they could. Yet it panned out to show the sheriffs etc. You'd think they could have come up with something better.

Then theres the fact that they didn't even bother to inflate the fucking raft. That just shows lack of common sense.

**summit** · 03-28-2007, 07:12 PM

Watched it again... good lord that raft was a retarded idea.

The patient is wearing jeans, a shirt, tennis shoes, and a PFD but no helmet. This seems odd.... how did she get there outfitted like that? Perhaps they managed to get her that PFD? If so they could certainly get her a rope.

On shore rescuers were not wearing helmets nor thermal protections. Some were wearing BUNKER GEAR!

Nobody appeared ready to go into the river as a backup to rescue the rescuer! None appeared equipped to swim.

Originally Posted by mrryde

there must have been a much better way.

1. Patient appears stable, responsive, out of the water, and functional with a PFD on.
2. Lots of debris floating down stream (danger to rescue swimmer)
3. Patient looks like they are only about 50ft from shore with relatively calm water between.
4. Communication with the patient is possible (we can hear her talk on the video!)

Based on that, if I'd been IC and had equipped and trained rescuers...
MY PLAN:

Communicate with the victim using the Sherrif's PA system or bullhorn explaining the plan and how to hold the rope in the river.
Toss throwbags until the lady caught one. Throw before Go.
If all the throwing was unsuccessful, the kayak could have taken a throwbag to her. Row before Go.
Let the current swing her to the bank (or pull her in).
Backups are multiple downstream spotters with throwbags and kayaker+swimmers ready to go livebait. I would also employ an upstream spotter.

Of course, the above is said without knowing what's downstream in this situation. It was also hard to tell how wide the river was or how bad the current and debris got in the middle or if there were any bridges nearby to get someone on the opposite bank or to send the kayak accross to establish a static line.

This plan would have minimized the chances of rescuers having to swim or the patient being in the water without a rescuer or a rope. What do you think?

LT · 03-28-2007, 10:15 PM

Just when the video was getting close to the end I was thinking to myself, "not even a shot of anyone in bunker gear" and then there they were. And sure enough, not to disappoint, one of the two didn't have a PFD and the second didn't bother to zip the one he had. Awesome, how the vast majority of rescue professionals in this country are not properly trained in swift water rescue.

So many things wrong with that video but there are much worse out there.

G · 03-29-2007, 02:50 AM

I generally prefer my safety boaters to:

1) Have a skill level of someone who's actually paddled before. The ability to maybe even perform a basic roll might be kinda nice.

2) A boater who's ass isn't so fat that it nearly sinks the boat before the victim has even grabbed on.

**Hayduke** · 03-29-2007, 04:57 AM

I was waiting for them to put her on the gurney then for that to roll down the slope into the water. That's how I would've done it.

**Yeti** · 03-29-2007, 08:12 AM

Hey horse-collar lady, why don't you get in this deflated raft? Don't worry, county sheriff: I'm tied in to ensure lifelike 180/0 streamer action as I miss my roll. If getting in the raft doesn't work, maybe you can get swept under the strainer pile? Failing that, why don't you climb on my bow? I spent a lot of money on a boutique-y boat, so it's good for that. See? I can even do a sweet bow-stall. And check out my kayaksurf-worthy rodeo play, including my new move: the Victim Doubler! Where there was one, now there are two. And when you hang on downstream of me, watch how the water pillows up over my head! Now you're a whitewater horsecollar lady! See how they can use your horsecollar as a yoke to drag you up the bank?

Aren't you glad you wore a Type II pfd?

**Tye 1on** · 03-29-2007, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by RootSkier

Check out these asshats.

http://www.krem.com/sharedcontent/Vi...1433&catId=218

So glad it had a happy ending despite the obvious incompetence of whoever was in charge.

There was somebody in charge?

Summit's hit the nail on the head imho. Unfortunately, that video is more the rule than the exception with many local sheriff's offices. Great intentions, just not the training, skills or abilities to be dialed in to swiftwater rescue. Problem's typically compounded when shit like this happens in a non-whitewater river. If there was a surf wave there, likely some maggot would've been there to be an actual help.

**Conundrum** · 03-29-2007, 10:01 AM

Edit: Someone (pssst, he posted in this thread) sent me a pm that made me sad in the pants so I will strike my coments from the record.

I will say that there are a lot of people saying "Wow, what a shit show" both here and here.

Not many people giving it the thumbs up.

But, nobody died, which is nice.

**wannabe** · 03-29-2007, 10:45 AM

Since when is a play boat used as a rescue tool?

A kayak can be a great tool in certain rescue scenerios, but it has to be able to float like a creek boat and the person paddling it needs to actually know how to paddle.

I really liked the deflated pool raft that was really clever.

Thankfully everything worked out in the end.

**ridinshockgun** · 03-29-2007, 11:26 AM

I know its wrong, but I cannot stop laughing at that.

I would have just pulled his grab loop, turned him over, and then swam to shore.

**SurfTheEarth** · 03-29-2007, 12:48 PM

Dude in the kayak obviously isn't a Class V boater

Using a freakin' playboat in a Rescue situation and the rope almost near his waist....clueless.

**MakersTeleMark** · 03-29-2007, 01:46 PM

She's graceful, and he's got a great roll.

**teledave** · 03-29-2007, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by Yeti

Hey horse-collar lady, why don't you get in this deflated raft? Don't worry, county sheriff: I'm tied in to ensure lifelike 180/0 streamer action as I miss my roll. If getting in the raft doesn't work, maybe you can get swept under the strainer pile? Failing that, why don't you climb on my bow? I spent a lot of money on a boutique-y boat, so it's good for that. See? I can even do a sweet bow-stall. And check out my kayaksurf-worthy rodeo play, including my new move: the Victim Doubler! Where there was one, now there are two. And when you hang on downstream of me, watch how the water pillows up over my head! Now you're a whitewater horsecollar lady! See how they can use your horsecollar as a yoke to drag you up the bank?

Aren't you glad you wore a Type II pfd?

This is just fuckin classic.

Now, for the record, I have zero training in swiftwater rescue. BUT, wouldn't you have just taken a rope to her with a yoke(?) on it and pulled her in rather than trying to put her in the Walmart raft or trying to bring her in on the bow? I guess the Spokane Sherrif's Dept & Rescue Squad only owns one rope. I just always thought the first rule of search and rescue type work was to not create more victims.

**Jumpman** · 04-11-2007, 01:17 PM

Summit,

It is great to see someone on this thread with a some common sense.

If all the rest of you idiots want to believe what you saw on the news then by all means do so. Just shows your ignorance.

If you are interested in commenting on something you have no idea about, I hope you read this. It might take a little effort on your part to read.

The water was runnning at 21000 cfs, normal summer run is 1200 cfs. This women was wearing blue jeans a lite spring jacket and she was in a small blow up raft, yes the ine in the footage. Her core temp at the hospital 20 minutes after we got her out of the water was 89.5. Gee do you think she could have held on to a rope if we cound have gotten one to her.

First of all the lady was in the water for approx 30min. We knew she was hypothermic already. The water is in the low 40's. From the time we got on scene till the victim was out of the water was approx. 10 min. We did not send the small raft out. That was the raft the victim was rafting the river in and it was next to her caught in an eddie. We thought we might be able to get her into the raft and pull them both back to shore. As no boat was available and we knew we needed to get her out of the water FAST. No we could not wait. See above temp. It turned out the raft was to deflated to use. Our next option was the kayak. The person in the kayak is an expert in kayak and we were going to try and pull them both in using that. A pl;ay boat not the best option, however an option no the less. The person in the kayak was tethered to the rope (by live bait) if you do not know what that is look it up. Just as expected, did in fact flip and could not roll due to the rope being pulled tight by the upstream current in the eddie. He did a wet exit, gave me an okay sign, did you se that? approached the victim and took hold of her. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANY OF YOU SO CALLED EXPERTS COMPLETE A ROLL TETHERED TO A TIGHT LINE IN A CURRNT MAKING IT TIGHTER. TRY IT THEN GET BACK TO ME. The person in the kayak is a current Life Guard Cert. He is an excellent swimmer and life guard. A cross chest carry may have been an option, or being faced downstream too, however she did not go under the water, our rescuer chose to do a front carry, his call at that point. He did not pull the women into the water, he talked her into the water and then we on shore pulled them both in. Our safety swimmer was next to me in case he needed to go. SUITED UP AND READY TO GO.

Once she got to shore, by floating her over, she was turned over to medics who transported her the hospital where she stayed over night.

1. I agree 30 min is way to long. I addressed that already. From time on scene till in medics hands 10 mins. Not to long.
2. We had our safety on shore with us and ready to go out if needed. We have NEVER had a serious injury nor death in all the rescues we have done.
3. We do not have any inflatable's on our team except a zodiac and we have used that many times, very successfully. as far as
a kayak, depends on how it is use and the experience of the operator.
4. When possible, I agree have the person turn away. This being if she can understand and comprehend what you are saying.
Also she was perched on a log that if she tried to move she could have fallen in on the other side of the log and become a bigger problem as this was a strainer and there were two more up stream of this..
5. The medics gaurney was approx ten feet from shore. This is way she was lifted this way.

I stand by what our team did and what medics did too. It was a successful save and no one got hurt.

Maybe something else the media failed to mention. The county swift water and dive team is a volunteer group of very dedicated folks you give freely of their time for these situations. Sometimes our responses do take a little longer than we would like. However that is a fact of life we have to live with. There are two paid people myself and my partner. Our entire team is swiftwater trained and we have NEVER had any serious injuries or deaths.
GET ALL THE INFO BEFORE YOU COMMENT ON HOW OR WHY SOMETHING IS DONE.

Someone made mention of some of the rescuers were in turn out. Yes they were. Why did you not make mention that they ALL had the PFD's on too. If your so damn good at catching the so-called bad then check for the good too.

I will be waiting to hear from all you great rescuers that NEVER make any minor mistakes. Bottom line we saved her live, she is alive due to our efforts and NO ONE got hurt. Can you all say that all the time.