Swift Water

Swiftwater One of the most dynamic and dangerous areas of Special Operations Difficult to train for the real thing Our goal Knowledge Skills Come home safe

Rescue Philosophy We Will Do Our Best to Save Savable Lives Remember We Did Not Put That Person at Risk We Owe It to Ourselves and Our Families to Come Home Safe

Rule Of Three 1 Self Rescue First 2 Teammate Second 3 Victim Third

Hydrology North Fork of American River, Calif.

Friend or… Upper Salt River, Ariz.

Or FOE !!!

Hydrology WATER MOVING DOWN A GRADIENT RESPONDS TO THE CONFIGURATION OF THE STREAM CHANNEL IN PREDICTABLE WAYS

Swift Water Rivers Creeks Washes Flood Control Channels

Slow water Most Canals Hazards – Poor visibility, Cold water, Gates and drops

Still Water Lakes Ponds Retention Basins Hazards – poor visibility, cold water

Characteristics of Swiftwater Powerful Relentless Predictable

Powerful Water Weights 62 Pounds Per Cubic Foot That Mass Obeys the Laws of Physics Moving Water Has Tremendous Energy 62

Relentless Unlike the Surf, the Force of Swift Water Does Not Let up We Have Very Little Control Over the River If You Are Trapped or Pinned You Have a Very Poor Chance of Survival

Predictable A Knowledgeable Rescuer Will Be Able to Read the River and Predict With Certainty Where Both Safety and Danger Lie

FORCE = mass X VELOCITY SQUARED!!!

FORCE ~ VELOCITY Rule of thumb: Stay out of current over your knees VELOCITY POUNDS POUNDS FT/S M.P.H ON LEGS ON BODY 5ft/S=3.4 M.P.H 16.8 33.6 10ft/S=6.8 M.P.H. 67.2 134 20ft/S=13.6 M.P.H. 269 538 Rule of thumb: Stay out of current over your knees

Determine Velocity 100 FT MEASURE THE TIME IT TAKES AN OBJECT TO FLOAT 100 FT Note: with a 10mph current an object will travel one mile in six minutes This can help you predict the distance a victim has traveled from point of entry.

Velocity influenced By… Gradient (steepness) Friction Volume (CFS) Channel Configuration bends constrictions obstructions

Bank Erosion

Volume - CFS DXWXV=CFS 5 FT/SEC 5 100 2500 CFS

Flash Flood

Dam being destroyed by flood waters

Hermit Rapid – note muddy water, product of flood on Little Colorado River upstream

River Terminology Our reference point will always be facing down river River Left or River Right Up River or Down River R L

Laminar Flow FASTEST SLOWEST

Helical Flow

River Features Down Stream V Eddy Eddy Line Hydraulic Up Stream V Standing Waves Bends

AKA “The Tongue” usually indicates the main channel, deepest water

Eddy – a horizontal Reversal of current

Eddy's

Eddy Line

Hydraulic – a vertical reversal of water

Hydraulic

Up Stream V Usually indicates the presence of an obstruction

Standing Waves

How Standing waves are formed

Large, wide standing wave on Colorado River near Grand Junction Large, wide standing wave on Colorado River near Grand Junction. Known as Big Sur by boaters

Hazards Low Head Dams Strainers Bends Undercut Rocks Foot Entrapment Trees & Logs Fences Vehicles Bends Undercut Rocks Foot Entrapment Stationary Objects Panicked Swimmer Hypothermia Debris / Loads

Low Head Dams

Escape Route

Picnic at Apache Falls near Hwy 60, Upper Salt River, Ariz Picnic at Apache Falls near Hwy 60, Upper Salt River, Ariz. (Danger Kids playing on rock near river Wide hydraulic)

Strainers The Most Dangerous Hazard on the River Anything That Water Flows Through but a Person Wont Avoid It or Climb Over It or You Will Drown

Climb over Strainers

Foot Entrapment

Undercut Rocks

Stationary Objects

Bridge abutments Unlike natural rocks, which usually cause an upstream pillow, bridge abutments offer little hydraulic cushion, making pinning more likely

Flood Debris

Loads Top Loads – things that float Suspended load – heavy objects that can’t float but move with the current; more dangerous because they can’t be seen Bottom Loads – stationary and non-stationary objects on bottom; can cause foot entrapment

Vehicle Behavior Comment: Cars on paved surface tend to move, more likely to roll. Gravel surface tends to scour gravel around tires causing vehicle to settle in.

Hypothermia Rescuer With No Thermal Protection Temperature Useful Work Unconscious 40 degrees 7.5 minutes 30 minutes 50 degrees 15 minutes 60 minutes 60 degrees 30 minutes 120 minutes

Panicking Victim Several rescuers die every year because they did not recognize the signs of panic and made contact with the victim, only to be overpowered by the panicky victim. Never allow a victim that is in a state of panic make contact with you.

Upper Salt River, Ariz.

Arizona Watersheds !3 drainages

Pre-Planning RECOGNIZE Hazards Take steps to PREVENT PREPARE for Rescue

Personal Equipment PFD Personal Flotation Device Helmet, Water Rescue River Shoes Whistle Knife Thermal Protection Strobe or chemical light

Typical Scenarios Vehicle Swept Off Roadway Vehicle In A Canal Person In The Water Person Stranded On Mid-stream Object

“What stupid people see”

“What evil lurks in the dark”

Not a typical scenario.

Rescue Objectives Locate Contact Assess Stabilize Prepare for extrication Extricate Transport to medical facility

Effecting a Rescue Low Risk To High Risk REACH THROW ROW GO HELO

Reach Extending an Object From the Shore to a Person in the Water Paddle Ladder Pike Pole Inflated Fire Hose Do Not Get Pulled in

Reach

Fire Hose Pendulum

Throw ROPE – pendulum belay stabilization line snag line Floatation – PFD rescue ring inflated fire hose

Throw Bag Approximately 50 Foot Effective Range Victim Must Be Physically and Mentally Capable of Grabbing and Hanging Onto Line Line Must Land “at” or “up River” From the Victim

Pendulum Belay

2ND Person Assists swimmer to shore

Receiver Position

Proper Ferry Angle

Stabilization Line Allows victim to maintain head above water

Snag Line A line which is used to pull victim free from entrapment

Stabilization/Snag Line Requires quick deployment and people on both sides of river Comment on difference between stabilization lines and snag lines.

Row Boat Options – raft Boat Techniques/operations – Row or paddle Highline 2 or 4 point tether

Row (boat operations) Boats Provide a Safe Platform for Rescuers to Go to the Victim Can Be Controlled From Shore With Tether Lines Can Be Used to Access Hazard Areas of the River Can be used to search waterways

Paddle crew training on upper Salt River Paddle crew training on upper Salt River. Note paddle Captain in rear using rudder stroke

Merced River, Calif.

GO WARNING – HIGH RISK ! Tension diagonal crossing (zip-line) Rescue TFD – “live bait” rescue “V” - lower Shallow water crossing Strong swimmer/contact rescue Caution: Rescuers can be swept away

Tethered Swimmer

Shallow Water Crossing

Example of wedge. Note largest person in front

Crossing to Vehicle

Tension Diagonal Crossing

Helicopter Fast Access to Difficult to Reach Locations High Potential for Significant Life Loss Highest risk options

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz.

Rescue Organization Centralized command Assign divisions and groups Develop a plan Have a back-up plan No free lancing

Divisions/Groups Extrication (Technical Rescue) Upstream Downstream River Right & Left Resource Treatment Transportation

Signals