Swift water rescue

POST FALLS - It happens every summer.

Someone recreating on the Spokane River underestimates the current and has to be rescued from a life-threatening situation.

Kootenai County Fire and Rescue recently sponsored a three-day swift water rescue training course to prepare for the summer.

"More and more people are coming to the river and lake to play and that creates a bigger hazard for us to deal with," said Justin Capaul of KCFR. "A lot of people mix alcohol and water, and that's never good."

Capaul said the most common mistake is that people believe they can swim across the river from simply looking at it. One of the biggest areas of concern is at Corbin Park in Post Falls below the dam.

"Many people don't know how strong the current really is," Capaul said. "They don't realize how much energy it takes to swim from one side of the river to the other and they get swept down the river."

The river's cold temperature, particularly early in the summer, and logs, rocks and debris also increase the danger.

"People can avoid getting in dangerous situations while on the river by always wearing a personal flotation device and swimming with a partner," said Jim Lyon of KCFR.

Fifteen from KCFR and two from Coeur d'Alene Fire participated in the training at Corbin and the even swifter "Bowl and Pitcher" area of Riverside Park in Spokane.

Several skills were taught, including self-rescuing, escaping a foot entrapment, strainer escape (where a person is trapped against an obstacle and can't escape due to the water pressure), team rescue swims and rope and raft techniques.

"One of the biggest parts of the training is to make sure there's a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C," Capaul said. "If A doesn't work, we immediately go to Plan B ..."

Capaul said responders need to know how to rescue themselves if something goes wrong and they learn how to work as a team, including fighting the current while attached to a rope. There's also spotters both upstream and downstream.

"They need to be upstream to say if there's something like a log or something coming down toward (the rescue mission)," Capaul said.

He said it generally takes eight to 10 rescuers to be involved.

Capaul said the best thing bystanders can do is stay out of the way of rescuers and act as spotters or calming factors for the victim.

"It's not a good idea for non-trained people to go in after them," Capaul said. "Call 911 right away."