Swift WaterSwift Water

Swiftwater 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

• 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

Rescue PhilosophyRescue Philosophy

1 Self Rescue First Self Rescue First

22 Teammate Second Teammate Second

33 Victim Third Victim Third

Rule Of ThreeRule Of Three

Hydrology

Friend or…

Or FOE !!!

HydrologyHydrology• WATER MOVING DOWN A GRADIENT • RESPONDS TO THE CONFIGURATION OF

THE STREAM CHANNEL IN PREDICTABLE WAYS

Swift WaterSwift Water• Rivers• Creeks• Washes• Flood Control Channels

Slow waterSlow water• Most Canals

Still WaterStill Water• Lakes• Ponds• Retention Basins

Characteristics of Characteristics of SwiftwaterSwiftwater

• Powerful• Relentless• Predictable

PowerfulPowerful• Water Weights 62 Pounds Per

Cubic Foot• That Mass Obeys the Laws of

Physics• Moving Water Has Tremendous

Energy62

RelentlessRelentless• 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

PredictablePredictable

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

FORCE = mass X FORCE = mass X VELOCITY VELOCITY

SQUARED!!!SQUARED!!!

FORCE ~ VELOCITYFORCE ~ VELOCITYVELOCITY POUNDS POUNDSFT/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

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

Determine VelocityDetermine Velocity

Velocity influenced Velocity influenced By…By…

• Gradient (steepness)• Friction• Volume (CFS)• Channel Configuration

bendsconstrictionsobstructions

Bank Erosion

5

100

5 FT/SEC

DXWXV=CFS

2500 CFS

Volume - CFSVolume - CFS

Flash Flood Flash Flood

River TerminologyRiver Terminology• Our reference point will always be

facing down river• River Left or River Right• Up River or Down River

R

L

Laminar FlowLaminar Flow

SLOWEST

FASTEST

Helical FlowHelical Flow

River River FeaturesFeatures

• Down Stream V• Eddy• Eddy Line• Hydraulic• Up Stream V• Standing Waves• Bends

AKA “The Tongue”

usually indicates the main channel, deepest water

EddyEddy – – a horizontal a horizontal Reversal of currentReversal of current

Eddy'sEddy's

Eddy LineEddy Line

Hydraulic – Hydraulic – a vertical a vertical reversal of waterreversal of water

HydraulicHydraulic

Up Stream VUp Stream V

Usually indicates the presence of an obstruction

Standing WavesStanding Waves

How Standing waves are How Standing waves are formedformed

HazardsHazards• Low Head Dams• Strainers

• Trees & Logs• Fences• Vehicles

• Bends• Undercut Rocks• Foot Entrapment

• Stationary Objects

• Panicked Swimmer

• Hypothermia• Debris / Loads

Low Head DamsLow Head Dams

Escape RouteEscape Route

• 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

StrainersStrainers

Climb over Climb over StrainersStrainers

Foot EntrapmentFoot Entrapment

Undercut RocksUndercut Rocks

Stationary ObjectsStationary Objects

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

FloodFlood DebrisDebris

LoadsLoads• 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 BehaviorVehicle Behavior

HypothermiaHypothermia

Temperature Useful Work Unconscious40 degrees 7.5 minutes 30 minutes50 degrees 15 minutes 60 minutes60 degrees 30 minutes 120 minutes

Rescuer With No Thermal Protection

Panicking VictimPanicking 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.

Arizona Arizona WatershedsWatersheds

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

Personal Personal EquipmentEquipment

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

• Vehicle Swept Off Roadway• Vehicle In A Canal• Person In The Water• Person Stranded On Mid-stream

Object

Typical ScenariosTypical Scenarios

“What stupid people see”

“What evil lurks in the dark”

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

• REACHREACH• THROWTHROW• ROWROW• GOGO• HELOHELO

Low Risk To High Risk

Effecting a RescueEffecting a Rescue

ReachReach• Extending an Object From the

Shore to a Person in the Water• Paddle• Ladder• Pike Pole• Inflated Fire Hose

• Do Not Get Pulled in

ReachReach

Fire HoseFire HosePendulumPendulum

ThrowThrow• ROPE – pendulum belay

stabilization linesnag line

• Floatation – PFD rescue ring inflated fire hose

Throw BagThrow 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

PenduluPendulumm

BelayBelay

22NDND Person PersonAssistsAssists

swimmerswimmerto shoreto shore

ReceivReceiverer

PositioPositionn

ProperProperFerryFerryAngleAngle

Stabilization LineStabilization LineAllows victim to maintain head Allows victim to maintain head

above waterabove water

Snag LineSnag LineA line which is used to pull victim A line which is used to pull victim

free from entrapmentfree from entrapment

Stabilization/Snag Stabilization/Snag LineLine

Requires quick deployment and Requires quick deployment and people people

on both sides of riveron both sides of river

RowRow• Boat Options – raft

• Boat Techniques/operations –

Row or paddle Highline

2 or 4 point tether

Row Row (boat operations)(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

GO GO WARNING – HIGH RISK !WARNING – HIGH RISK !

• Tension diagonal crossing (zip-line)• Rescue TFD – “live bait” rescue

“V” - lower• Shallow water crossing• Strong swimmer/contact rescueCaution: Rescuers can be swept

away

TetheredTetheredSwimmerSwimmer

ShallowShallowWaterWater

CrossingCrossing

Crossing to VehicleCrossing to Vehicle

Tension Diagonal Tension Diagonal CrossingCrossing

HelicopterHelicopter• Fast Access to Difficult to

Reach Locations• High Potential for Significant

Life Loss• Highest risk options

Rescue Rescue OrganizationOrganization

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

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

SignalsSignals