Re: [Paddlewise] Rescuing a capsized canoeist

Scott from So Cal suggests he's willing to paddle right up to, and/or leave his
boat to assist a person who is drowning or in a panic state,
confident that he can handle himself in this sort of situation.  And he'd be
entitled to offer his life in such a fashion.

Most trained professionals take a slightly different read on these events. Not
all, mind you, but most.
And those who are not trained, or who were trained once but have gone more than
a season w/o rectification or training
would be foolish to assume their abilities so rashly.

The second rule of any rescue is to not create any additional victims.
The third rule of rendering aid or rescue is to secure the current victim from
any additional harm.

The first rule is to assess the environment, contributing conditions, and
current status and threats
to both the victim and those who are potential 'rescuers'.   You'd be surprised
at how often people who can't swim well
are quick to jump into the water to 'save' someone who is floundering and is a
better swimmer.  There are a number
of cases where the rescuer drowns and the victim makes it out.  In the mountains
while rendering aid to climbing accident
victims, people can and have been killed or injured by subsequent rock fall and
debris slide because they were so focused
on the acute needs of the victim(s) that they didn't first note the acute threat
posed by the immediate environment.
The water is a much more dynamic and potentially threatening environment for the
rescuer. Conditions can go from
hectic, to panic, to deadly very quickly.  It's great that you are comfortable
in the water. So am I. So are a lot of
people on this list. But people's comfort isn't quite the point here.

We train and rehearse and train again. We also discuss these hypothetical
situations.
People train, re-train, and train again so that they are ready and able to
render aid and rescue that is aimed
at helping the victim while maintaining the safety of others involved.
Professionals don't 'stand around'
wringing their hands or arguing moot points while someone is drowning, Scott.

-Will

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