Program Title:                       Whitewater Rescue Technician
Provider:                 Graham Wardle, Rescue 3 / The Wild Planet
Duration:                 3 Day 2 Night
Date:                     Program 1: 17 – 19 August 2012
Program 2: 7 – 9   September 2012
 
Overview
Rescue 3 International was founded in 1979 after a California search and rescue team nearly lost one of its own during a water rescue. Nearly 30 years later our mission remains the same: to provide flood, water, and rope rescue training to individuals and organizations with an emphasis on ways to keep rescuers from becoming victims. As a result, Rescue 3 has risen to become the recognized leader in water and flood rescue, training over 90,000 students throughout the US and 32 foreign countries. Known for our dynamic curriculum and utilizing state of the art techniques. Rescue 3 is constantly developing new and innovative rescue techniques, improving on old techniques, and working with manufacturers to develop equipment to meet rescuers needs.
Graham Wardle is an International School teacher, currently working in Bangkok where he lives wife his wife and daughter. For the past 26 years he has paddled, rafted, dived, trekked and climbed in 35 countries. He is a British Canoe Union Level 5 Coach Raft Guide and Rescue 3 Swift Water Rescue Instructor. He holds British Mountaineering Council, rock climbing and mountaineering awards as well as been a keen and avid PADI Scuba Instructor.  He has been instrumental in the development of White Water Safety & Rescue techniques in the UK and Europe, along with the development of coach education schemes.
 
Course Content
This is a three-day course designed for the Outdoor Professional with existing river experience to provide you with the necessary skills to perform rescues in whitewater river situations. It is both classroom and river-based and will include:

·       Hydrology and water dynamics
·       Introduction to technical rescue equipment
·       Hazard identification & risk assessment
·       Introduction to rope systems
·       Swimming in moving water
·       Medical considerations
·       Foot and body entrapments
·       Scene management
·       Contact and in-water rescues
·       Two and Four point boat and rope system
·       Crossing techniques
·       Boat pins and entrapments
·       There will also be several team based scenarios..

Practical element
The practical element will be delivered on the dates above and will be primarily bank/river based. The skills covered will build on your previous foundation knowledge
There is also some preparation work required prior to the course.

 
Equipment
All attendees will be required to be equipped as follows:
 

Wet Sessions:
·       Wet Suit*
·       Helmet*
·       Wet boots/Aqua Shoes or Trainers (NO SANDALS)
·       PFD* (preferably with harness)
·       Throwbag & River knife
Dry Sessions:
·       Outdoor clothes
·       Waterproofs
·       Sturdy footwear
NOTE: Wetsuits, helmets, PFD’s and Throw Bags are available (Please notify The Wild Planet if required).

 
 
Pre-requisites for Attending the Course
Previous White Water experience either as a Rafter or Canoeist.  Confident in swimming in moving water.
Prior to the commencement of the course please practice the following and come prepared to demonstrate:
Figure 8 Follow Through
Figure 8 on a Bight
Directional Figure 8
Double Figure 8 ( Bunny Ears)
Clove Hitch
Italian Hitch (Munter Knot)
Alpine Butterfly
Double Fishermans
Prussik Knot
Water Knot (Tape Knot)
Tensionless Hitch Tying
Two useful  Resource Sites that may aid you are:
http://www.animatedknots.com/
http://www.cmcrescue.com/ ( - If you are an IPhone/IPad User – down load the App.)
 
 
Itinerary
 
Day 1:
1100 – Arrival, Registration at The Wild Lodge, - Lunch
01230 – Course Introduction,                                                                 
Rescue 3 Course Philosophy.                                                  
·       Principles of Water Rescue,

·       Water Dynamics,

·       Management/Organization & Size-Up. Dealing with bystanders

·       Rescuer Safety & Equipment
Introduction to Ropes/Knots & Technical Equipment.
·       Communications

·       Search Management & Helicopters

·       Medical Considerations, Panic & Survival
1800 Evening Meal
1900 ‘C” Spine Rescues & Use of Improvised Collars - practical  - In the Pool
2030 Course close for the day
 
Day 2:
0800 – Travel to WW Site,  On Scene Site Safety Brief, Check PPE, Decontamination
0930 -  PRACTICAL 1
·       Throwlines – Dry land

·       Basic Swimming Position, aggressive/defensive

·       Throwlines wet – Coiled  uncoiled – Practical Assessment

·       Strainer Swim
1130 -  LUNCH – by the River
1230 -  PRACTICAL 2
·       Anchors & Mechanical Advantage Systems

·       Tension Diagonal

·       Contact Rescues

·       Paddle Boating – 2 & 4 point tether

·       Tyrolean boat on tether

·       Swimming in a Hole
1630 – Travel to The Wild Lodge
·       1730   Aggressive Adult CPR Practical Assessment
1900    Evening  Meal & Social
Day 3:
0800 – Travel to WW Site,  On Scene Site Safety Brief, Check PPE, Decontamination
0930 -  PRACTICAL 3
·       Shallow Water Crossings

·       Swimming in a Hole

·       Swim, Paddle, Shoot a line across the river

·       Foot & body entrapments/vertical pinning
1130 -                      LUNCH
1230 -  Student Scenarios – 2/3
1430 – Celebration of Achievement
1500 – Review, Reflection & “The Way Ahead”
1530 – Course Disperse. -

 
 
OTHER DETAILS: The Wild Lodge

Planet Scuba and the Wild Planet Co. Ltd. have over the last 15 years built a reputation for offering safe, fun and exciting adventure programs for Schools, colleges and corporate groups all over Thailand. Our intention with the Wild Lodge is to continue that reputation creating a location that offers first class programs, first class instruction and first class equipment within a relaxing and pleasant and ecologically sustainable environment.         
We operate the Wild lodge in a way that promotes the active stewardship of our natural resources and surroundings and encourages current and future generations to protect it, but at the same time get out into nature and enjoy it. We realize that this involves individual commitment and may not be embraced by all, but if we can have all of our guests leave us with a better appreciation of the outdoors then we are some way forwards to making a difference.
 
Accommodation
We have eight individual lodges. each lodge has a front balcony, main room and rear anti room with an en suite bathroom and rain shower. The main room is large and can be set up with beds for up to 8 students dormitory style. All of the lodges are screened against insects.
 
Our main camp building has four bunkrooms and there is a dedicated staff lodge with four rooms + 2 more Siam rooms in the main lodge. All lodges and rooms have high ceilings with fans and additional freestanding fans and are designed to encourage natural ventilation.
 
Accommodation for this course will be on a twin or triple share basis, individual rooms can be optioned subject to availability and payment of a single supplement.
 

Meals
Food will be prepared on a communal basis with participants all contributing as this course is being subsidized by the Wild Lodge.
Meals will be taken in the main Hornbill Sala, water will be provided with meals.
 
Throughout the day, water will be available during all activities; participants are also required to carry their own water bottle (given to them at the start of the program), which can be refilled on demand within the lodge. All activity locations will also have a ‘drink station’
Note: Details of other lodge facilities + directions can be found in our main brochure or by going to www.thewildlodge.com

Water is now flowing at optimal levels and the Geng Sam Chan playwave nr The Wild Lodge is giving some great sessions.

Images are myself, Matt Taylor and the hand paddle guru Brad on Saturday.

 

 

 

Robin

Below is an abridged set of guidlines published by the guys at www.americanwhitewater.org.
If you are paddling on moving water but read though this and say uhhhh? then maybe for your own safety and the safety of others you should consider a training workshop.

Guidelines for River Rescue

Recover from an upset with an eskimo roll whenever possible. Evacuate your boat immediately if there is imminent danger of being trapped against rocks, brush, or any other kind of strainer.

If you swim, hold on to your boat. It has much flotation and is easy for rescuers to spot. Get to the upstream end so that you cannot be crushed between a rock and your boat by the force of the current. Persons with good balance may be able to climb on top of a swamped kayak or flipped raft and paddle to shore.

Release your craft if this will improve your chances, especially if the water is cold or dangerous rapids lie ahead. Actively attempt self-rescue whenever possible by swimming for safety. Be prepared to assist others who may come to your aid.

When swimming in shallow or obstructed rapids, lie on your back with feet held high and pointed downstream. Do not attempt to stand in fast moving water; if your foot wedges on the bottom, fast water will push you under and keep you there. get to slow or very shallow water before attempting to stand or walk. Look ahead! Avoid possible pinning situations including undercut rocks, strainers, downed trees, holes, and other dangers by swimming away from them.

If the rapids are deep and powerful, roll over onto your stomach and swim aggressively for shore. watch for eddies and slackwater and use them to get out of the current. Strong swimmers can effect a powerful upstream ferry and get to shore fast. If the shores are obstructed with strainers or under cut rocks, however, it is safer to “ride the rapid out” until a safer escape can be found.

If others spill and swim, go after the boaters first. Rescue boats and equipment only if this can be done safely. While participants are encouraged (but not obligated) to assist one another to the best of their ability, they should do so only if they can, in their judgment, do so safely. The first duty of a rescuer is not to compound the problem by becoming another victim.

The use of rescue lines requires training; uninformed use may cause injury. Never tie yourself into either end of a line without a reliable quick-release system. Have a knife handy to deal with unexpected entanglement. Learn to place set lines effectively, to throw accurately, to belay effectively, and to properly handle a rope thrown to you.

 

We have just returned from the 3 day GCSE kayak program in Nakon Nayok.

We used the canoe slalom course and Geng Sam Chang rapids below Tha Dan Dam as our training site and the river was running at med to low rainy season levels. However this was perfect for the skills that we needed to work on with the students.

Simon Shand and Matt Taylor have been working with the students, mainly in the pool, and for some this was their first time on moving water !

We made the descion to put all of the students in Whitewater playboats and this was definitely the right choice.

The students achieved far more than we expected and by the end of the course we even had some students thowing moves in the hole.

All the video is now in the can for their GCSE assessments in the Uk and teachers and students have returned to Bangkok for the last two days of term before the start of summer holidays.

 

Thanks to all for a fun few days..

For the last few weeks we have seen some tremendous rain storms up at the lodge, and consequently the planting is thriving and the rivers are up.

If the rivers are up then Geng Sam Chan play wave is going off! So its time to put the play boats in the truck and start attempting those front loop / face plant combinations.

 

This was exactly the intention last Saturday when Matt and I got on the water.

The pile was looking good on the main hole and the run off from the storms in the park was feeding the wave without any assistance from the dam above.

but In the end it was a 50/50 day……….

………50% good as Matt nailed his first 4 repetitive ends of a front cartwheel.

……….50% bad as it was at the cost of the first equipment breakage of the season when he surfaced from a roll minus the left hand blade on his borrowed paddle !

the wave is now in and will be with us for the foreseeable future, in the monsoon season it will be fed via run off and once the rains have finished the irrigation releases from Klong Ta Dan Dam will keep the hole going.

 

Next week sees Matt and Shandy bringing a class of GCSE kayaking students up to the wave for the culmination of their two year kayaking elective and the video taping of skills for the examiners in the UK.

Forecast looks to have high water so playboating will definitely be on the agenda.