What to Expect in Rescue 3's Swiftwater Rescue Course
By R. Mark Elling

Whether it was El Niño's floodwater that planted the seed or not, swiftwater rescue was on my mind last year. How long before I would come around a bend and find a foot-entrapped boater, wrapped raft or worse? Did I really have the skills it would take to become part of the solution rather than adding to the problem?

I had done a few basic whitewater rescue classes in the past, either with employers or through university outdoor programs, but only enough to swim a small rapid or two, flip a boat, and learn cursory rope rigging systems indoors. More involved classes always seemed daunting--too expensive and too far away. So when I met a paramedic that recommended Rescue 3 as a source for reasonably priced swiftwater rescue classes, I made the call and registered.

Rescue 3 has been around since the late '70s. The program offers a wide range of classes in rescue techniques for moving water, high and low angle terrain, ocean surf, helicopter rescue, and even technical animal rescue. Originally the company focused on training such agencies as fire departments or search and rescue groups; now it makes the same courses available to anyone who meets the class prerequisites of CPR and First Aid certification.

Swiftwater Rescue Technician I is a three-day course; day one is spent in the classroom followed by two days in the field. In late May I arrived at the fire department in Oakridge, Ore., and met my instructor, Kim Little, the owner of Rescue 3 New Zealand now working in rafting and swiftwater rescue in Wenatchee, Wash. My fellow students were members of the Oakridge fire department and Forest Service employees, and most had some type of paddling experience.

Day One

There's always some question in the back of one's mind about whether a class that costs a couple hundred bucks will be worth the money, and the answer to that question hinges heavily on the instructor. Little put me at ease by diving right into coursework after filling us in on his background--outfitter, EMT, rescue-for-hire man, and body recovery professional. He was a hands-on kind of guy and wasted no time.

Day one fundamental rescue concepts include: how much risk to assume, rescue philosophy and methodology, and standards of care and liability. These abstract discussions are followed by more nuts and bolts: whitewater hydrology and river hazard assessment; rescuer/victim dynamics and behaviors: how not to be a victim; basic knots and ropework; essential gear: ropes, hardware and personal equipment; helicopter rescue: when to use, when to avoid and why; and vehicular rescue: anchoring and approaching submerged vehicles.

Throughout the first day's lectures, Little provided insight into swiftwater rescue that only an experienced technician could offer, making the chalkboard and textbook session both practical and realistic. "You've got to know when not to go in," he said, adding that one-third of all drownings involve a rescuer. "Your safety comes first, and then the safety of your mates. The victim is your last priority. That guy got himself into that mess, you didn't."