This is a great example of why we always need to scout rapids. It also goes to show that even if you have done a run before, it's ALWAYS good form to scout on EVERY run for yourself.
I'm a search and rescue tech, I specialize primarily in mountain and water rescue. And this was near perfectly executed, we always go into situations like this where someone is pinned between multiple rocks or under a log with trauma injuries. And this was probably the best way to go about a situation like this. I also do part time work as a rescue operator at a white water rafting company and we share a white water narrow and rapid with a kayaking team, and I've been dispatched to rescue kayakers in similar situations. And it can go bad very quickly, a incident just like this happened and 2 other kayakers made the same mistake and it became a pile up in class 4-5 rapids. If you weren't there no doubt that further risks and possible injury would have become of the situation.
Armchair critic here: taking a SWR class alone is not enough. These skills need to be practiced with your crew on a regular basis. Going to hang the rope up to dry? Give it a few tosses. Check in with your equipment. The classes are fantastic, but taking one is not a hall pass on continued development of judgement, practice, and having difficult conversations and self-assessment. On an aside, this is what we would call a skirt entrapment. Pulling the skirt before getting out of the pin could be detrimental... the way the paddler came through the tunnel can be more ideal. Nice work on getting immediately hands on! Hands on contact saves lives! Thanks for the PSA.
these are great points and thanks for the discussion and thanks for that. Your point about practicing what you learn in SWR is on point big time...it does little good to take the class if you quickly forget it and don't use it. I'm not due for SWR update for a while but honestly plan on taking a class again this year as a refresher bc the last 3 incidents over the last 3 weeks (Foot entrapment from a solo paddler on Ocoee, and a carnage fest at bear creek falls with swimmers everywhere) showed me I want more practice to be as effective as possible. Yes to the skirt entrapment- one of the crew with the paddler in this video reached out to me and confirmed the log was blocking his knees from exiting and also entrapping the skirt. My telling him to pull his skirt was premature I think and due to my not recognizing how his skirt was pinned in by the log. One item I wish I had discussed in the video is how good a job the paddler did in keeping his cool and keeping his wits about him. His calm reaction helped facilitate an efficient extraction. Thanks again for the comments and for what you all do at H2O Dreams for the paddling community- many of my friends have spent time with you all and rave about their experiences and how helpful they have been in their progression and safety.
Well said and thank you again. You can never hear stuff like this too much. Thank you for hitting on good points that need to be pounded in to keep getting each other's back. Keep educating and it's good to know if I ever see out on the water I can have an even better day with a smile! Thanks Thanks For helping to protect my brothers and sisters out there paddling as well as our sport. Paddle on bro thanks again
It was extremely fortunate we were there at that moment. It would have been a good bit of work and time delay for others to get there as it’s not an easy spot to hike down to from the put in. We were very grateful we happened to be there to help the paddler!
Thank you for this video. I'm brand new to WW and seeing rescue and safety videos on the channels of experienced paddlers have been really helpful for me on multiple levels. Something about the video format versus hearing someone tell me about it or reading an article about it just sticks in my brain better. Obviously videos are no substitue for real world experience, but videos like this are great for reminding me of things I need to put on my to do list and check off before I'm able to classify myself as anything more than a newbie. I already had SWR class on my list, but this video pointed out that I need to put that higher up on my list.
@Josh Lambert thanks for your comments and knowing this video has been helpful to folks like yourself is 100% what my goal was in creating it which was A) to help people think about safety, B) encourage everyone paddling in moving water no matter the level to take a SWR class, and C) discuss ways this particular situation could have possibly been avoided so that the paddling community can learn from these types of incidents and try and move forward a little wiser and safety minded while still getting out there to send it and have a great time. Thanks for watching and truly- so glad to hear you found it helpful.
Being in North TX the few local runs we have are rain dependent done at or near flood stage. Wood and other debris are probably the biggest danger one of the many good lessons of this particular video is not matter how many times you've done a run you gotta scout because rivers/creeks are always changing.
@@steveking6204 We ran the upper portion above the slot with the tree down so the part from 1:10 to 1:25 in this video. From the eddy at 1:25 we portaged on river right bank to get below the 2 places with wood in them (that chute I note in the video and then the log the other paddle got hung up on). From there we ran the rest of the lower boulder garden on down the river. Wood is a constant issue on WFT bc it rarely releases and rarely gets cleaned out. We had wood throughout the day and one other spot we portaged a river wide tree but everywhere else you could safely work around it. We skipped the portion of the boulder garden with this wood bc the risk vs reward was not worth trying to run which this video demonstrates very much to be the case.
Scout the rapids yourself, another reason I carry a folding pruning saw, a few cuts and water pressure would send that tree down river, great calmness on all concerned, especially the person pinned, I have been there, 2 weeks ago, and as the saying goes, it takes 3 to rescue a kayaker, the one in the kayak and the 2 outside.
Shame you guys didnt have a silky saw would blast through that branch in no time and gets it out of the water for the next guy. Good work and and fast reactions, well done time and positive action is key.
I was thinking about a saw as I watched. Even with a saw available, the approach they took seemed best. It was faster to do without a saw, and once the branch was partially cut it could have become a dynamic situation in an unpredictable way and gone south.
A group before us definitely said it was good to go but had not scouted down to that lower drop. This drop often has wood in it and needs to be scouted and not rely upon other paddlers you don't know for beta bc you just don't know what is ok for them vs you and whether they went down to it, etc.
his skirt was stuck between the cockpit rim and the tree so he could not pull it or if pulled it could have filled his boat with water and he would still be somewhat stuck due to the skirt being between the boat and the tree.
You don't carry a saw? The whole bunch of you could easily clear that wood Think about being tight in your kayak seat but not a log is lying across your hips. It's hard to get out. You like " idk know why he did x y or z" maybe ask him, talk to him find out what he was thinking. Your "bro that is a no go" statement was cringe
This is a great example of why we always need to scout rapids. It also goes to show that even if you have done a run before, it's ALWAYS good form to scout on EVERY run for yourself.
Agreed!!
I'm a search and rescue tech, I specialize primarily in mountain and water rescue. And this was near perfectly executed, we always go into situations like this where someone is pinned between multiple rocks or under a log with trauma injuries. And this was probably the best way to go about a situation like this.
I also do part time work as a rescue operator at a white water rafting company and we share a white water narrow and rapid with a kayaking team, and I've been dispatched to rescue kayakers in similar situations. And it can go bad very quickly, a incident just like this happened and 2 other kayakers made the same mistake and it became a pile up in class 4-5 rapids.
If you weren't there no doubt that further risks and possible injury would have become of the situation.
Thanks so much for the feedback and thanks for watching! We are all glad everything turned out good for the paddler!
this is why i always bring a chain saw in my kayak
hate these guys who are unprepared...
meanwhile this pervert snuff film guy talking about, "lifting skirts" - they are everywhere out there
Really smart.. Due to your recommendation, I'm convinced to do the same
But if you can't get out of boat this no good. Keep it slung against your back, or taped to back deck.
@@xxxxxx-zy9lu I strap it to the bow and leave it running, so I can just cut right through any wood I encounter
Best to carry a stick if dinamite instead eh? Less weight more effective,
Glad I saw this video. Need more like this from all creators reminding us of the importance of safety.
"Trust but Verify", a useful mantra ...
Armchair critic here: taking a SWR class alone is not enough. These skills need to be practiced with your crew on a regular basis. Going to hang the rope up to dry? Give it a few tosses. Check in with your equipment. The classes are fantastic, but taking one is not a hall pass on continued development of judgement, practice, and having difficult conversations and self-assessment.
On an aside, this is what we would call a skirt entrapment. Pulling the skirt before getting out of the pin could be detrimental... the way the paddler came through the tunnel can be more ideal.
Nice work on getting immediately hands on! Hands on contact saves lives! Thanks for the PSA.
these are great points and thanks for the discussion and thanks for that. Your point about practicing what you learn in SWR is on point big time...it does little good to take the class if you quickly forget it and don't use it. I'm not due for SWR update for a while but honestly plan on taking a class again this year as a refresher bc the last 3 incidents over the last 3 weeks (Foot entrapment from a solo paddler on Ocoee, and a carnage fest at bear creek falls with swimmers everywhere) showed me I want more practice to be as effective as possible.
Yes to the skirt entrapment- one of the crew with the paddler in this video reached out to me and confirmed the log was blocking his knees from exiting and also entrapping the skirt. My telling him to pull his skirt was premature I think and due to my not recognizing how his skirt was pinned in by the log.
One item I wish I had discussed in the video is how good a job the paddler did in keeping his cool and keeping his wits about him. His calm reaction helped facilitate an efficient extraction.
Thanks again for the comments and for what you all do at H2O Dreams for the paddling community- many of my friends have spent time with you all and rave about their experiences and how helpful they have been in their progression and safety.
@@SouthernYak Hindsight and humility are awesome tools, of which you seem to have in spades. I appreciate those that reflect and learn.
Cannot think what will happen if you all were not there or even without the equipments. Thanks for sharing
We were very glad we happened to be standing right at that rock when it happened. Very fortunate for the paddler!
Thanks for sharing. Some great advice everyone should take to heart. I plan on taking a SWR class this summer.
Thanks so much and that is awesome about planning to take SWR. It is WELL worth the time. Thanks for watching and glad you found the video helpful.
Lots of good lessons...thanks for taking the time to walk us through it!👍
yeah man- I'm hoping it helps folks learn a little bit more about safety and encourage folks to take a SWR class asap.
Well said and thank you again. You can never hear stuff like this too much. Thank you for hitting on good points that need to be pounded in to keep getting each other's back. Keep educating and it's good to know if I ever see out on the water I can have an even better day with a smile! Thanks Thanks For helping to protect my brothers and sisters out there paddling as well as our sport. Paddle on bro thanks again
Thanks so much and thanks for watching!
Scary stuff. Glad you guys were there.
It was extremely fortunate we were there at that moment. It would have been a good bit of work and time delay for others to get there as it’s not an easy spot to hike down to from the put in. We were very grateful we happened to be there to help the paddler!
Damn fine video that emphasizes key points. And yeah, take a SWR class. Like first aid and CPR, it pays to be prepared.
Thanks and thanks for watching.
Thank you for this video. I'm brand new to WW and seeing rescue and safety videos on the channels of experienced paddlers have been really helpful for me on multiple levels. Something about the video format versus hearing someone tell me about it or reading an article about it just sticks in my brain better. Obviously videos are no substitue for real world experience, but videos like this are great for reminding me of things I need to put on my to do list and check off before I'm able to classify myself as anything more than a newbie. I already had SWR class on my list, but this video pointed out that I need to put that higher up on my list.
@Josh Lambert thanks for your comments and knowing this video has been helpful to folks like yourself is 100% what my goal was in creating it which was A) to help people think about safety, B) encourage everyone paddling in moving water no matter the level to take a SWR class, and C) discuss ways this particular situation could have possibly been avoided so that the paddling community can learn from these types of incidents and try and move forward a little wiser and safety minded while still getting out there to send it and have a great time. Thanks for watching and truly- so glad to hear you found it helpful.
Being in North TX the few local runs we have are rain dependent done at or near flood stage. Wood and other debris are probably the biggest danger one of the many good lessons of this particular video is not matter how many times you've done a run you gotta scout because rivers/creeks are always changing.
Big thanks to @RiverKings for bringing your channel to my attention
@@joshinfwtx4506 Pete's a great guy and fun to paddle with! I am sure you are already aware but he was there with us that day for this rescue.
Watched this last night from Pete. Everyone teamed up!!!
we are grateful all ended well. Thanks for watching.
Thank you. Hopefully this well put together video will get someone to do the training needed to be a better boater.
Thanks so much.
Great job and great video. Much appreciate your time to post this.
Thanks and hope it proves helpful!
@@SouthernYak what route did you eventually take down the rapid?
@@steveking6204 We ran the upper portion above the slot with the tree down so the part from 1:10 to 1:25 in this video. From the eddy at 1:25 we portaged on river right bank to get below the 2 places with wood in them (that chute I note in the video and then the log the other paddle got hung up on). From there we ran the rest of the lower boulder garden on down the river. Wood is a constant issue on WFT bc it rarely releases and rarely gets cleaned out. We had wood throughout the day and one other spot we portaged a river wide tree but everywhere else you could safely work around it. We skipped the portion of the boulder garden with this wood bc the risk vs reward was not worth trying to run which this video demonstrates very much to be the case.
Scout the rapids yourself, another reason I carry a folding pruning saw, a few cuts and water pressure would send that tree down river, great calmness on all concerned, especially the person pinned, I have been there, 2 weeks ago, and as the saying goes, it takes 3 to rescue a kayaker, the one in the kayak and the 2 outside.
I agree and well said! I love how this video is spurring discussions on river safety!
Paddle on man. Great advice!!
A valuable lesson absorbed today thankyou
Thanks and I am so glad it was helpful for you.
@@SouthernYak never thought to take rescue gear on scout so yes a lesson learnt thankyou
Thank you brotha
Excellent, thanks.
Thanks and glad it has proven helpful to folks.
Shame you guys didnt have a silky saw would blast through that branch in no time and gets it out of the water for the next guy. Good work and and fast reactions, well done time and positive action is key.
I was thinking about a saw as I watched. Even with a saw available, the approach they took seemed best. It was faster to do without a saw, and once the branch was partially cut it could have become a dynamic situation in an unpredictable way and gone south.
Thanks for sharing!
Lots to learn from videos like these I think.
Great video, thanks!
Thanks for posting this!
Did this group scout it and then tell you it's" all good"?
That was sketchy stuff. Wouldn't have run it without some chainsaw work first.
A group before us definitely said it was good to go but had not scouted down to that lower drop. This drop often has wood in it and needs to be scouted and not rely upon other paddlers you don't know for beta bc you just don't know what is ok for them vs you and whether they went down to it, etc.
Excellent.
Thanks and I hope it is helpful.
Wow preach brotha
Bump the volume up on your end when editing. It’s hard to hear you on mobile devices even with volume on max.
Thanks for the feedback. I actually bumped up the audio a good bit before putting it on youtube but sounds like maybe not quite enough. :(
@@SouthernYak I thought audio was fine on your end!
Thanks Jehu!
Did not pulling the skirt keep the boat from filling up with water?
his skirt was stuck between the cockpit rim and the tree so he could not pull it or if pulled it could have filled his boat with water and he would still be somewhat stuck due to the skirt being between the boat and the tree.
Kayaking is the scariest thing I have ever done...
It can have it's moments. We try to mitigate it with training, safety protocols, and risk management. But- stuff happens.
Agreed, it's scary at times but driving your vehicle is a whole lot more dangerous 😱 Stay safe out there😁
@@Michael65429 all about risk management!
@@Michael65429 Agreed...driving is way scarier.
Real Hero guy's
Just being at the right place at the right time. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
You don't carry a saw? The whole bunch of you could easily clear that wood
Think about being tight in your kayak seat but not a log is lying across your hips. It's hard to get out.
You like " idk know why he did x y or z" maybe ask him, talk to him find out what he was thinking. Your "bro that is a no go" statement was cringe
Rake a fuggin chainsaw down there