Safety Clinic at Week of Rivers 2004 – Joe Slater
| River: | Other |
| Skill: | All |
| Trip Date: | 07/01/2004 |
I was fortunate to be able to take the River Safety Class while at Week Of Rivers. I started paddling back when, as Joe Berry puts it, “Safety was having three boaters.” After my 20 year absence from whitewater, I was impressed with how much emphasis is put on river safety.
The class started with a lesson in how quickly situations can go bad. On Monday night, while attending the lecture portion of the class, a big wind came up and knocked the club tent down on top of the instructors and the students. The instructors got us out quickly; we secured the tent, continued in the pavilion while it stormed.
The instructors included Russ Scheve, Robin Pope, Mark Jones, David Luinstra, Sandra David, Don and Bob whose last names I don’t remember, and I’m probably forgetting somebody else. Our first skill was learning to safely wade across a moving stream with a paddle or a partner, and to do so in such a way to minimize foot entrapment.
We stopped at the first good class II rapid to practice swimming and throw roping. Everyone got to swim and to be the target of a throw rope. We even had a real rescue situation as a young boy fell out of his inflatable and swam the rapid. Robin Pope then executed a real rescue as he corralled the boy and ferried him, while swimming, across the current to reunite him with his family. David Luinstra demonstrated how to tow a swimmer with your boat.
The rest of the day consisted of scenarios as we paddled down the river. It seems our hapless instructors couldn’t go far without getting themselves into trouble, from swims, to pins and entrapments. Luckily for them the students had been paying attention and we were able to save them every time.
I highly recommend that every paddler take a River Safety Course, preferably more than once. Taking the class every year or two will keep you up on the skills since the content of the class is constantly being improved. Practice makes perfect.
Photos
Russ Scheve helping a student into the water
Photo by Joe Slater
Wayne Poole acting as the throw rope target
Photo by Joe Slater
Robin Pope swimming a boy across the river
Photo by Joe Slater