Swiftwater rescues are among the most dangerous that you will face. That may sound obvious, but some departments that haven’t seen many swiftwater incidents have been taken by surprise. Out west, we have unique situations where dry riverbeds or washes accumulate trash and broken branches for months before they turn into raging rivers during the wet seasons. But no matter where you work, there are some principles of water rescue that simply should not be ignored or downplayed. Here to talk about them is Kevin Keith.
Kevin is a Captain and Paramedic at Prescott Arizona Fire. He’s been on the job for nearly 20 years. He’s a swiftwater rescue expert as well as a technical rescue technician.