Water
River Rescue for River Runners
This course is specifically tailored to the needs of recreational river users including whitewater kayakers, canoeists and fishermen. It does not result in a professional certification but rather, provides the skills and knowledge necessary to play all day and come home every night. Course content includes identification of hazards, safely crossing and swimming fast-moving water, the use of simple, effective river rescue gear, self rescue and the rescue of others. Tired of being lucky? Don’t leave home without it!
River Rescue Course Details
Duration: 1 1/2 days
Format: 1/2 day (or an evening) in the classroom, 1 day on the river
Cost: $235.00
Pre-requisites
- 18+ years of age (16-17 with parental permission)
- Basic swimming ability
- In good physical condition
Required Equipment
- Drysuit or wetsuit*
- Personal flotation device (Type III or IV)*
- Water-sports helmet*
- Neoprene gloves (optional)
- Neoprene footwear with a good walking sole, wading boots, or running shoes
- Layers of wool or fleece clothing for under the drysuit/wetsuit including sweater, pants, gloves, socks
- Whitewater kayak or canoe (optional)
(* Rentals available - Click here for a list of rental prices and course equipment requirements.)
River Rescue Course FAQ
More details about swiftwater courses including what to expect and how to prepare. Click here for our Swiftwater FAQ.
General Objectives
- Develop a sense of confidence and the necessary skills to deal with moving water situations.
- Develop ability to self rescue and rescue others in moving water situations
- Familiarize and train the student in utilization of standard river rescue gear.
Behavioural Objectives
- Have a working knowledge of standard river equipment including clothing, boat preparation, rope and related equipment and some specialized gear.
- Have a working knowledge of river dynamics and hazards, e.g. holes, strainers and foot entrapment.
- Self rescue and rescue fellow river users from the water.
- Safely swim swiftwater and be able to maneuver so as to negotiate river hazards at various water levels.
- Have a good knowledge of applicable communications methods, e.g. hand and whistle signals.
- Be able to pre-plan for river trips and develop low to high risk decision-making skills.
Course Outline
The following topics will be covered at some point during the course, but not necessarily in this order.
Equipment
Personal safety equipment & clothing; rope; boats (outfitting and selection).
Rope
Knots; webbing; throwing techniques; tag line & stray swimmer rescues.
Entrapments and Extrications
Boat pins; entrapments; equipment retrieval; rigging and hauling systems.
Organization
The rescue process; leadership; team organization; liability & risk management.
River Sense
Water dynamics; hazards; rating rapids; preplanning; scouting; leadership; saying “no”; the “what-if” factor; & river classification.
Medical
Initial contact; drowning; hypothermia; shoulder dislocations; evacuation techniques; secondary drowning.
Swimming
Ferry swimming; protect position; hole riding and exit; strainer swim; force of current re: speed and volume; river signals/communication.
