Swift water rescue

"ICS is based upon a flexible, scalable response organization providing a common framework within which people can work together effectively.

These people may be drawn from multiple agencies that do not routinely work together, and ICS is designed to give standard response and operation procedures to reduce the problems and potential for miscommunication on such incidents."

These activities shall be performed by personnel trained to the Technician Level, provided they are wearing a properly fitted and secured personal flotation device.

Under times of stress, the implementation of this algorithm helps to prevent a rescuer from endangering himself and the victim, thus providing a sound, step-by-step approach when effecting a rescue.

While it is safest to talk a victim into performing a self-rescue, there exists a substantial increase in danger once a rescuer enters the water.

Since the laminar flow of a moving body of water carves the path of movement, it experiences friction caused by resistance along the shallows and outer or higher banks, and travels at a slower speed at the edges than the center.

Therefore, a rescuer often has the opportunity to wade along the banks of a moving body of water to more easily "talk" to, or "reach" the victim.

becomes unstable or begins to succumb to rising water, that rescuer may need to tow a victim to the shore, eddy or pre-planned egress point.

Actual tows with scared, hypothermic, exhausted, injured or panicked victims are extremely difficult and dangerous for both parties and should be left to rescuers well versed in proper rescuer/victim communication, holds, and swimming techniques.