WHEN YOU ARE THE RESCUER!
Recently we heard about several rescues gone bad. One boater was caught below a low-head dam, and when a rescue boater went in to try to rescue them, they both drowned. In another case, a visitor to a National Park started slipping down a cliff, and when her father tried to rescue her, he, too slipped off the cliff and they both died. And again, a motorist had a collision on a highway, and the person who was trying to help, was struck and killed by another driver. Or the swimmer trying to rescue someone caught in a rip current, when both of them got swept away and drowned. Or the rescuer during a winter plane crash that managed to rescue several passengers and went back for someone else, and never resurfaced.
When YOU are the rescuer, be aware that it puts YOU in severe danger.
I know, the urge and imperative to leap into the situation and help is often overwhelming.
But FIRST, LOOK AROUND to see what other dangers are involved. When you are Laser-focused on helping someone, it tends to make you blind to other things going on around you. Other boats, the river current forcing you both over the falls, or the water recirculation at a low-head dam that will pull YOU in, too. Be aware that your focus might put both you and those you are trying to help in further danger.
Even in the midst of terrible emergencies, stop and look around and take stock of the situation again. Situations change. You might be getting tired. Other traffic might be coming your way. The sweeper that caught the other paddler might shift while you are trying to pull the other paddler out. The way your boat handles in the maelstrom below a low-head dam is different than the way it works in normal river flow.
Maybe practice dealing with rescues on some of your trips. Take a water rescue safety course. You never know when you might need it.
Stay Safe out there!
See You On The Water!
Harmon