Deep Water Rescue Practice Saturday

Image via Wikipedia We would like to thanks Banks Dixon of Frog HollowOutdoors for teaching our Group some Deep Water Rescue Techniques at Paddlefest. Some of our group took the class on Saturday, while others including myself took a class on Sunday, along with some Camp Walter Life Guards. Our Sunday class was a "hybrid class" of sorts because it included canoes. We don't have many canoes paddling on our trips, but we do have some on occasion. It's just as important for a kayaker to know how to rescue a canoer and vice versa, it is important for a canoeist to know how to rescue a kayaker.

The classes were a lot of fun, but the lessons we learned may help save a life down the road. Should our group come across a paddler in the water, we will know what to do, without placing ourselves in danger. The lessons learned this weekend were priceless. What was suppose to be a 1.5 hour class Sunday, turned into a 3 hour class, because Banks Dixon is that kind of person. He went the extra mile. While he showed us several scenarios, he told our group there are lot's of others you could spend a full day going over. All we touched on were the basics.

Banks also stressed the importance of wearing a PFD's having lost two personal friends, experienced kayakers. All it takes is a bump on the head or collision you didn't expect. He told me one of his friends got trapped in a slow moving strainer after bumping her head. Had she had a jacket on, she might have been saved. I know I won't be paddling moving water without mine being on anymore. Click here to read an account of that tragic story.

This weekend our group plans to practice what we learned, so each of us will be proficient in the skills needed in deep water rescue. Our group became a little more seasoned and plan to take more rescue classes in the future. Below is a slide show from Sunday's Classes. Once again Thanks to Banks Dixon of Frog Hollow Outdoors and his assistant Mike Halligan, who has another company River Bottle Blues. These guys went the extra mile to teach our group and made learning easy and fun. I can highly recommend taking an excursion or class with Frog Hollow Outdoors