Boat Related Self Rescue Tips on a River

Series Summary

River boats are one of the earliest forms of transportation and shipping in recorded history. The Ancient Egyptians used rafts on the Nile River to transport wheat and other food and resources. In 1842, the military began using rubber tubes to float and travel down rivers as they expanded America to the West. Now river sports like kayaking, whitewater rafting, and canoeing have become exciting outdoor sports especially popular in places like the Grand Canyon and Colorado. Because of the nature of river sports, there are inherent dangers worth being aware of before taking a trip down the river. River rapids can be dangerous, so it is important to learn how the river works and get safety tips.

In this free video series, watch as river safety expert and professional kayaker Fergus Coffey teaches how to do different boat based river rescues. Learn how to do a self rescue, a bump and tow rescue, how to empty a capsized boat, how to do a water re-entry with a kayak, how to use a tow line, how to use the paddle, how to tow distressed and unconscious swimmers, how to do a T rescue, how to unpin a boat, and how to use a flip line to exit a kayak. River sport and recreation is a blast, so let the experts at Expert Village help you stay safe while you live on the edge.

Video Transcript

"A lot of emphasis in river rescue is put on helping other people out. But a large part of river rescue is making sure that you can self rescue and get your own equipment to shore when you flip and swim. Not only is this going to make people happy to boat with you, it is going to make things easier on yourself and you are not going to have to rely on other people who may not be paying attention. In a certain situation where you swim here, you want to remember a couple of key points. If you come out of your boat, the first thing you want to do is tug forward. You flip over, help the spray skirt and grab the boat. You then take the paddle and place the paddle and the boat in the same hand and use the opposite hand to swim to shore nice and aggressively. It helps you if the boat is downstream of you and you are also looking downstream because this way if you need to, you can release the kayak and you are not going to get trapped between it and a rock and get pushed there. You also keep your vision free so that you know what is coming up downstream. "