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Swift Water . Swiftwater. One of the most dynamic and dangerous areas of Special Operations Difficult to train for the real thing Our goal Knowledge Skills Come home safe. Rescue Philosophy. We Will Do Our Best to Save Savable Lives Remember We Did Not Put That Person at Risk
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Swiftwater • One of the most dynamic and dangerous areas of Special Operations • Difficult to train for the real thing • Our goal • Knowledge • Skills • Come home safe
Rescue Philosophy • We Will Do Our Best to Save Savable Lives • Remember We Did Not Put That Person at Risk • We Owe It to Ourselves and Our Families to Come Home Safe
Rule Of Three 1 Self Rescue First 2 Teammate Second 3 Victim Third
Hydrology • WATER MOVING DOWN A GRADIENT • RESPONDS TO THE CONFIGURATION OF THE STREAM CHANNEL IN PREDICTABLE WAYS
Swift Water • Rivers • Creeks • Washes • Flood Control Channels
Slow water • Most Canals
Still Water • Lakes • Ponds • Retention Basins
Characteristics of Swiftwater • Powerful • Relentless • Predictable
62 Powerful • Water Weights 62 Pounds Per Cubic Foot • That Mass Obeys the Laws of Physics • Moving Water Has Tremendous Energy
Relentless • Unlike the Surf, the Force of Swift Water Does Not Let up • We Have Very Little Control Over the River • If You Are Trapped or Pinned You Have a Very Poor Chance of Survival
Predictable • A Knowledgeable Rescuer Will Be Able to Read the River and Predict With Certainty Where Both Safety and Danger Lie
FORCE ~ VELOCITY VELOCITY POUNDS POUNDS FT/S M.P.H ON LEGS ON BODY 5ft/S=3.4 M.P.H 16.8 33.6 10ft/S=6.8 M.P.H. 67.2 134 20ft/S=13.6 M.P.H. 269 538 Rule of thumb: Stay out of current over your knees
Determine Velocity 100 FT MEASURE THE TIME IT TAKES AN OBJECT TO FLOAT 100 FT Note: with a 10mph current an object will travel one mile in six minutes
Velocity influenced By… • Gradient (steepness) • Friction • Volume (CFS) • Channel Configuration bends constrictions obstructions
Volume - CFS DXWXV=CFS 5 FT/SEC 5 100 2500 CFS
L R River Terminology • Our reference point will always be facing down river • River Left or River Right • Up River or Down River
Laminar Flow FASTEST SLOWEST
River Features • Down Stream V • Eddy • Eddy Line • Hydraulic • Up Stream V • Standing Waves • Bends
AKA “The Tongue” usually indicates the main channel, deepest water
Up Stream V Usually indicates the presence of an obstruction
Low Head Dams Strainers Trees & Logs Fences Vehicles Bends Undercut Rocks Foot Entrapment Stationary Objects Panicked Swimmer Hypothermia Debris / Loads Hazards
Strainers • The Most Dangerous Hazard on the River • Anything That Water Flows Through but a Person Wont • Avoid It or Climb Over It or You Will Drown