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10
Water Search and
Rescue
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Objectives (1 of 3)
• Identify the need for water search and rescue operations.
• Identify various types of water and ice environments.
• Recognize and identify hazards common to all types of water.
• Recognize and identify specific hazards unique to ice, swiftwater, surf/marine, and underwater environments.
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Objectives (2 of 3)
• Describe the resources needed to conduct a water search and rescue operation.
• Describe response planning and incident management requirements related to a water search and rescue incident.
• Describe site control operations at a water rescue incident.
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Objectives (3 of 3)
• Describe non-entry rescue considerations at a water rescue incident.
• Describe the NFPA 1670 objectives for the operations and technician water-rescue levels, including how they apply to water rescue resources.
• Explain the modified RETHROG concept.• Explain each component of the modified
RETHROG mnemonic.
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Drowning Statistics
• Second leading cause of death in United States
• On average, three fire fighters die in water rescue accidents annually.
• Causes include: – Lack of water rescue training, hazard
awareness, safety equipment– Alcohol use
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Water Rescue Pitfalls (1 of 2)
• Being unprepared for the water environment
• Going near water without wearing PFD• Assuming all water environments are
same• Wearing heavy or negatively buoyant PPE
or clothing in/near water• Ignoring the water temperature
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Water Rescue Pitfalls (2 of 2)
• Driving vehicles into moving water • Waiting for 911 calls before seeking help
during floods, large storms• Assuming boat motor will always work• Ignoring simple, quick rescue techniques
while waiting to implement high-tech solution
• Waiting until flood starts to recognize need for water rescue training, equipment
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Water Rescue Criteria (1 of 2)
• Water is deep enough to create drowning risk.
• Water and/or air cold enough to create hypothermia or heat stress injury risk.
• Water has enough current to create risk of being swept away.
• Obstacles create risk of injury, entrapment, or incapacitation.
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Water Rescue Criteria (2 of 2)
• Energized electrical equipment creates electrocution risk.
• Waterborne hazardous materials create exposure to fire risk; corrosive, toxic, or reactive chemicals; biohazards; or radiological hazards.
• Water is abundant enough to destroy community resources and infrastructure.
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Water Recovery Criteria
• Meets water rescue criteria, plus one or more of following:– Victim is known to be dead.– Victim has been trapped underwater for more
than 90 minutes.– Victim trapped in water from which there is no
reasonably safe way to accomplish rescue.
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Applicable Standards (1 of 2)
• NFPA 1006, Standard for Technical Rescuer Professional Qualifications for: – Level I and Level II responders– Establishes organizational requirements to
operate safely, effectively at water rescue emergencies
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Applicable Standards (2 of 2)
• NFPA 1670, Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents:– 2008 edition added a surface water rescue
specialty track
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Other Standards
• OSHA’s General Duty Clause includes water rescue
• U.S. Coast Guard regulations
• NFPA 1983 related to rescue rope, hardware used for technical rope rescues from water
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Four Water Specialties per NFPA 1670
© Willem Dijkstra/ShutterStock, Inc. © Photodisc
© Photodisc© Simon Krzic/ShutterStock, Inc.
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Common Misperceptions (1 of 2)
• Only divers who use SCUBA can safely make water rescues.
• Lifeguards can rescue anyone from any water condition.
• SCBA and turnout gear can be used for surface or underwater rescue.
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Common Misperceptions (2 of 2)
• Responders can use any boat to make a water rescue.
• Any technical rescue team can affect swift-water rescue.
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Water Rescue High Risk
• Those who work near water or as part of boat crew require:– NFPA 1670 operations level for non-entry– NFPA 1006 technician-level for water entry
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Personal Floatation Devices
• Required for responders who work from boat, enter water, work from bridges or structures over water, work within 25 feet (7.6 m) of water
• Should meet U.S. Coast Guard’s PFD standards
• May include additional PPE, like wetsuits, gloves, personal lighting
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Coast Guard Approved PFDs
Courtesy of The Coleman Company, Inc. Courtesy of Johnson Outdoors Watercraft, Inc. Courtesy of Johnson Outdoors Watercraft, Inc.
Courtesy of Johnson Outdoors Watercraft, Inc. Courtesy of Johnson Outdoors Watercraft, Inc.
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Basic Water Rescue Equipment (1 of 2)
• Throw bags: – Used for virtually any type of water rescue– May be thrown from shore, boats, piers
• Ring buoy (Type IV PFD): – Used for conscious and unconscious victim
retrieval
• Rescue disk: – Similar to throw bag, but may travel twice as
far
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Basic Water Rescue Equipment(2 of 2)
Courtesy of Life Safer, Inc. <www.life-safer.com>
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Rope Rescue Equipment
• Tension diagonal: – Rope attached to anchor points, uses
mechanical advantage system
• V-lower :– Uses two ropes to control rescue boat or raft
• X-lower:– Uses V-lower system with 2 additional ropes
• Boat telfer system: – Uses highline and pulley
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Tension Diagonal
Courtesy of Carol Read
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V-Lower
Courtesy of C.J. Johnson
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Boat Telfer System
Courtesy of Carol Read
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Swim Aids
• Dive mask, fins, and snorkel
• Boogie boards
• River boards
• Rescue tubes
• Can buoys
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Rescue Board and Can Buoy
Courtesy of CMC Rescue, Inc. <www.cmcrescue.com> © jeff gynane/ShutterStock, Inc.
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Rescue Boat Considerations
• Type(s) of water involved
• Boat size, hull type, propulsion method
• Required boat and crew functions
• Availability of at least one method for retrieving unconscious victims
• Ease of victim and rescuer retrieval
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Examples of Hull Types
Photo of Zodiac Minuteman 420 RAD, courtesy of Zodiac of North America, Inc.
Courtesy of Oceanid - Water Rescue CraftCourtesy of SeaArk Boats
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Boat Propulsion Types (1 of 3)
• Human propulsion: – Inflatable rafts, specialized raft derivatives – Nonbailing or self-bailing
• Motorized propulsion: – Outboard motors – Inboard motors – Stern drives
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Boat Propulsion Types (2 of 3)
• Specialized propulsion:– Jet pumps – Jet drives – Airboats – Hovercraft
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Boat Propulsion Types (3 of 3)
Courtesy of Applied Combustion Technology, Inc.
© Purestock/age fotostockCourtesy of Ben Waller
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Water Rescue Navigation Equipment
• Land based:– Topographical maps, GPS – NASAR’s FUNSAR course
• Water based:– GPS systems, radar systems, sonar systems,
marine navigation charts, navigational aids like channel markers, navigation buoys
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SAR Equipment
• GPS systems• Flashlight, strobe lights, chemical light
sticks • Standard boating distress flare guns,
hand-held flares• Boating smoke flares or smoke grenades
(daytime use)• Thermal imaging camera (TIC)
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GPS System
Courtesy of Garmin International
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Thermal Imaging Camera
Courtesy of ISG/INFRASYS
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TIC Characteristics
• Useful for locating victims in water, especially at night, in fog, heavy rain, or low-visibility conditions
• Effective only if part of victim’s body at or above water’s surface and few degrees warmer than water
• Cannot see below water’s surface• Cannot detect victim or object with temperature
same or close to water temperature
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EMS Resources (1 of 2)
• BLS or ALS required at water rescue:– Type I Swiftwater Rescue Teams must have
ALS
• “Rescue first, then medical” depending on conditions
• Water rescue teams must be able to provide:– CPR, spinal immobilization, rewarming,
rehydration, bandaging
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EMS Resources (2 of 2)
Courtesy of Ben Waller
Courtesy of Ben Waller
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Water Rescue Victims
• May be suffering from hypoxia from near-drowning, hazardous materials exposure, traumatic injuries, medical emergencies
• Require ALS provider for care upon leaving water
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Access and Egress Equipment • Victim packaging and transfer devices:
– Long spineboards, Stokes basket litters, other devices
• Floating spineboards: – May be used as floatation or swim aids
• Rope rescue equipment:– May be required
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Conditions for Applying Spinal Package
• Deep, calm water: – Packaging system must float, enough personnel to
support victim and package, requires safe method of moving victim into boat or to shore
• Shallow-water: – Shallow end of swimming pool, flat shoreline, beach,
calm eddy
• If water’s edge below grade, may require rope rescue skills
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Hazardous Materials Resources • May be needed to:
– Monitor water quality, research hazardous materials, determine proper level of PPE, manage decontamination of victims, personnel, equipment
• May include local, state health departments to:– Assess biohazard threats, provide
immunizations, treat water-acquired diseases
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Decontamination Includes
• Washing, soaking, rinsing, drying all PPE, ropes, equipment, boats to manufacturer’s specifications
• Disposing of gear exposed to serious chemical contamination
• Following basic water rescue decontamination rules
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Communications (1 of 3)
• Competent equipment is necessary to maintain full-time communications among personnel.
• Line of sight of incident operations are preferred.
• Hard-wired or wireless underwater communication systems may be required.– Use diver’s tether rope in emergency.
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Communications (2 of 3)
• Handheld fire/rescue radio are required for all rescue boats.
• Marine radios are required for ocean, marine, or tidal waters.
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Communications (3 of 3)
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IMS Strategic Objectives
• Evaluate the scene and identify potential victims and locations.
• Minimize hazards to operating personnel and victims.
• Effectively search water rescue area.• Effectively rescue and remove victims.• Minimize further injury to victims during
search, rescue, and removal operations.
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IMS Positions and Resources (1 of 2)
• Incident commander (IC)
• Water rescue group supervisor
• Boat group supervisor
• Safety officer (several for larger incidents)
• Rigging group supervisor, if applicable
• Planning section chief
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IMS Positions and Resources (2 of 2)
• Operations branch, multiple rescue groups, and additional incident management components may be required for larger incidents.
• Area command, multiple EOC activations
• State, federal assistance
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ICS Tactical Benchmarks
• Victim location
• Boat launch, recovery site identification
• Hazard mitigation
• Entry team readiness
• Rapid intervention capabilities
• Emergency medical care for victims
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Needs Assessment Includes
• Types of water rescue and associated hazards• Emergency response resource needs• Written procedures to request agency resources,
mutual aid• Documentation of training, knowledge levels of
responders• Private-sector agreements to acquire resources
that cannot be supplied by response agency
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Preplanning and Training
• Training with initial response agencies, special rescue teams, public-sector resources, primary AHJ dispatch agency
• Instructing primary dispatch agency, personnel about dispatch procedures
• Exposing dispatch personnel to on-scene environment during training to facilitate understanding of information, terminology, and technology use
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Scene Assessment Information (1 of 2)
• Type of water or ice rescue • Number of victims and their visibility• PLS if victim not visible• Can responders communicate the with
victim?• Is victim trapped, entangled, under water,
beneath ice, or swept away?
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Scene Assessment Information(2 of 2)
• Is the victim injured?
• Presence of contamination, hazards posed
• Training level of responders
• Availability of necessary resources for rescue
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Water Hazards (1 of 3)
• Natural hazards:– Drowning, current, obstructions, predatory
animals, sharp shells or rocks, quicksand, pluff mud, underwater caves
• Human-made hazards: – Bridges, piers, dams, shipping, sunken
vessels, loose fishing nets, chemical and biological hazards, electricity sources
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Water Hazards (2 of 3)
• Physical Hazards:– Dams, piers, flood control channels, culverts,
storm drains, low-water crossings, flooded structures, bridges, piers, sunken boats or ships
– Electrical hazards: flooded residences, businesses, electrical production and transmission facilities
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Water Hazards (3 of 3)
Courtesy of Marvin Nauman/FEMA
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NFPA Type-Specific Dive Rescue Hazards
• Equipment failure
• Running out of air
• Entanglement or entrapment underwater
• Barotrauma: squeeze, bends
• Medical emergencies occurring underwater
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Ice Rescue Hazards
• Breaking through ice into water
• Exposure to extremely cold air, ice, water temperatures: hypothermia
• Underwater currents
• Vehicles and aircraft plunging through ice
• Ice surface changes related to temperature fluctuations
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Surf Rescue Hazards
• Surf breaking directly on beach, sand bar, reef
• Ships, boats, drifting objects, piers, fishing nets or lines, pipe or power line crossings
• Tidal currents, rip currents
• Marine animals
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Swiftwater Rescue Hazards
• Current’s force and power:– Quantified by calculating water speed and
multiplying by approximate square footage of river channel
– Or measure force when applied to person or object
• Lack of planning, underestimation of water’s power in relation to flooding
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Swiftwater Current Categories(1 of 8)
• Laminar flow: – Differences in current speed and force in
different parts of stream or channel
• Horizontal helical flow: – Water moves in circular motion, parallel with
river’s surface
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Swiftwater Current Categories(2 of 8)
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Swiftwater Current Categories(3 of 8)
© Stacey Lynn Payne/Dreamstime.com
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Swiftwater Current Categories(4 of 8)
• Hydraulic flow: – Vertical flow that occurs perpendicular to
laminar flow, creates circular current flowing upstream toward obstruction
• Eddy fence: – Vertical exaggeration of normal horizontal
eddy line, usually in high-water
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Swiftwater Current Categories(5 of 8)
Courtesy of T.M. Smalley—MN DNR
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Swiftwater Current Categories(6 of 8)
• Confused flow:– Chaotic water where two or more current
flows meet
• Tidal flow:– Current flows in reverse direction with tide
cycle; ebb tides may conceal hidden obstacles
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Swiftwater Current Categories(7 of 8)
Courtesy of Ben Waller
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Swiftwater Current Categories(8 of 8)
© Michael Zysman/ShutterStock, Inc.
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Other River Features
• Pillows: – Form on upstream side of obstructions
• Holes: – Depressions in water’s surface found
immediately downstream of standing wave
• River waves: – Wave stays in place while water moves
through it (standing waves)
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Objects in Water are Swiftwater Hazards
© R. Filip/ShutterStock, Inc.
Courtesy of Marvin Nauman/FEMA
Courtesy of David Savile/FEMA
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Phases of a Flood
• Phase one: pre-flood phase
• Phase two: emergency phase
• Phase three: stabilization phase
• Phase four: recovery phase
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Hazard Mitigation
• Elimination or reduction possible for many water hazards, like contaminants
• Reduction of current flow in dam-controlled rivers
• Limitation or denial of access to non-rescue personnel– Note: mitigation may not be possible for large-
scale events
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Nonentry Rescue Possible in Some Situations
• Assisting victim has been able to self-rescue and is onshore or at edge of calm body of water.
• Throwing victim buoyant object like Type IV PFD, boat cushion, anything that floats
• Awareness-level responders should not enter water to attempt rescue under any circumstances.
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Modified RETHROG• Talk• Reach • Throw/Wade• Techno• Helo• Row• Go • Tow• No Go
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Victim Care Considerations (1 of 2)
• Victim removal from water to safe environment is the number one victim care priority.
• Victim removal may require different techniques, equipment: – Parbuckling, rescue davits, hull doors, dive
platforms
• Victim packaging in water may involve various water conditions.
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Victim Care Considerations (2 of 2)
Courtesy of Ben Waller
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Summary (1 of 2)
• Water rescue victims may be located in a wide variety of water sources.
• Water rescue emergencies require specialized resources, including rescue equipment, trained rescue teams, and EMS.
• Water rescue hazards vary and include drowning, entrapment, trauma, physical hazards, wildlife hazards, and contamination, to name a few.
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Summary (2 of 2)
• Situations may require hazardous materials and other specialists.
• Awareness-level responders may be able to attempt non-entry retrieval of victims.
• Awareness-level responders should never attempt to water rescue entry.
