HIGH SURF ACCESSORIES’ RESCUE SLEDS OPEN PWC TO ALL NEW USES

 

Although 2-and-3 seater personal watercraft runabouts have been around since the late 1980s, adding a rescue sled for watercraft rescue is a fairly new concept. Because PWC are mostly used for recreational use around lakes, rivers and oceans, and manufacturers have expanded the original recreational use of PWC to include racing and towing for water sports (such as wakeboarding, wakeskating, tubing), tow rescue and tow surf by use of a tow board is something that is only a decade or two old (although big surf pioneer Randy Laine was doing it waaay earlier, but that’s a whole other story).

Through the use of a tow board, PWCs have gained additional traction with big game fishing and scuba diving/divers, in addition to dive rescue and reef exploration. Rescue sleds, such as those from High Surf Accessories (HSA), have opened up personal watercraft to a whole new world of use. In terms of swiftwater rescue, HSA states, “There is no such thing as too much power, just too much throttle. In fact, high horsepower makes navigation in a water current safer for all involved. ‘Slow is pro’ in swift water navigation especially with an attached tow board, and the ability to cautiously navigate fast currents, large waves and difficult gradients is paramount.

“The RWC’s low draft means less underwater obstruction contact and the ability to operate at lower water levels than outboard engines without decreasing performance. Obstructions become more difficult to identify during downstream navigation, and operators in the standard PWC standing position can identify obstructions easier and earlier than other watercraft. The combination of low draft and no exposed prop also allows PWC to maneuver closer to obstructions for search or rescue operations.”

 KEVIN SHAW The Watercraft Journal

5 Steps To A Safe Ice Rescue

 

Proper firefighter training, equipment, technique and awareness can reduce the dangers of ice rescues

In water rescue, there is a universally accepted rescue sequence:

1. Self rescue
2. Reach
3. Throw
4. Row
5. Go

Rescuers should be qualified and trained to perform the task they are preparing to undertake.

ANALYZE THE ICE RESCUE ENVIRONMENT

To avoid getting too in-depth about swift water environments, we'll focus on ice rescue on static or slow-moving current. I am a strong proponent of stating that a "go" rescue should never be performed on ice in which the water current is flowing greater than 1 knot without having some extraordinary conditions and precautions in place. 

This would include some very experienced and certified rescue swimmers, standby ice divers, water crafts, down-river rescuers, breach points in the ice and a very savable victim.

When we analyze this scene, we are trying to identify the victim, the victim's condition, any hazards present and the condition of the ice. If we can't locate the victim, we are looking for the hole in the ice, any tracks on the ice surface and any competent witness. 

When assessing the ice, we are primarily evaluating the path that the victim traveled before falling through. This is the most reliable path to the victim because it has already been traveled and supported their weight. All other surfaces are unknown until walked. 

If the ice is unstable and has floating and slushy segments, immediately call for an inflatable platform from which we can launch a rescue. This can be as simple as a rescue sled or swim board or as elaborate as an airboat or hovercraft.

Read More; Fire Rescue 1 by Dalan Zartman