Understanding River Rescue Protocols

In this taster lesson from our White Water Safety and Rescue course, we look at two important protocols that help paddlers make decisions during a rescue situation: Self, Team, Swimmer, Equipment and Shout, Reach, Throw, Paddle, Go.

The first protocol focuses on the order of priorities during an incident, starting with your own safety, followed by the rest of your group, the swimmer and finally any equipment. While it can be tempting to immediately help someone in difficulty or recover a boat, understanding these priorities helps prevent a situation from becoming more serious.

We also introduce the rescue hierarchy of Shout, Reach, Throw, Paddle, Go, looking at the different ways you can help someone in moving water, from giving clear instructions to carrying out a direct water rescue when necessary.

Understanding these protocols is a great starting point for developing your river safety knowledge and making more informed decisions on the water.

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