How to Tow a Swimmer in Boat Related River Rescues

Video Transcript

"A tow line is something that as a kayaker and as a paddler, is particularly useful if you are dealing with capsized boats or something that you just emptied and then need to take over a long distance to get to shore and get into a secure spot where you can get it back to the paddler that it belongs to. The tow line is used with a rescue belt so with this particular jacket, you've got a small ring here that runs into a pocket where the majority of the line is. With this, the rope unfolds out and you are left with a carabiner on the end of it. Now it is a really good idea to keep it in a pocket so that way this cord is close to your body and it is less likely to get snagged on. But you are also avoiding having an unlocking carabiner on the outside of your jacket where it could potentially get snagged. Once you take this, you are going to make sure it is behind you as you clip on to it and you can either clip directly onto the grab bar of the kayak or if you got to go around the canoe, force or something that is a little thicker, the carabiner won't directly clip on to, then thread it underneath, wrap it back over and then clip on to the rope attached to the flip line. Once you've got it clipped, grab your paddle and you can be pretty maneuverable towing the kayak. As you do this, make sure the cord doesn't become wrapped around anything downstream if you happen to go through some narrow gaps and if it does, then you've got the quick release if you need to. "