swift water
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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 - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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