RESCUE TECHNIQUES

FOR
EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Water and Flood

Rescue
Water and Flood
Rescue

edited by Trevor Calafato

 © EVOLSAR, 2022
The European Association of Civil Protection
Volunteer Teams
First published in 2022.

Editor: Trevor Calafato

Authors: SERVE ON (United Kingdom)
Serbian Rescue Team (SRT, Serbia)
Central Buda Volunteer Civil Protection Association (ÖPVE, Hungary)
Design and typesetting: IdeaSoft – www.ideasoftmalta.com

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing by the publisher.

ISBN: 978-9918-0-0202-3

Waiver of liability
This field guide is not intended to substitute appropriate training provided
by professional instructors, but simply as an aid. The authors do not have
any control on how the contents are used by the reader and consequently
cannot be held responsible for any outcome, directly or indirectly, from the
use of information contained within this field guide.
Furthermore, whilst the content has been prepared to the best of the
authors’ knowledge and expertise, and based on existing good practice, it is
not presented as all-inclusive and should not replace organization policies
or standard operating procedures in case of divergence from the content of
this field guide.
Co-funded by the
Erasmus+ Programme
of the European Union
EU disclaimer:
‘The European Commission support for the production of this publication
does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the
views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.’
2019-1-IT02-KA204-062192
Contents
Contributors 5

Preface 6

Introduction 7

Essentials 8
Terminology 8
Hydrological Features 11
Flooding 14
Phases of Flooding 15
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 16
Communication 19
Helmet Colours 21
Working Zones 22
Lines and Knots Principles 23

Hazards 26
Flowing Water Hazards 26
Flood Hazards 29

Rescue Considerations 30
Rescue Priorities 30
Stages of Rescue 31
Types of Rescue 32
Methods of Rescue 33
Some Do’s and Don’ts 35

Water and Flood Rescue Contents | 3

Water and Flood Rescue Contents | 4

Vehicles in Water 36
Self-Rescue 37

Medical Considerations 38
Hypothermia 38
Waterborne Illnesses 39
Drowning 39
Rescue vs Recovery 41
Casualty Handling 42

Conclusion 44

References 44

List of Abbreviations 45

Image Credits 46
Contributors
The Water and Flood Rescue field guide has been prepared by
volunteer members of three teams, who have worked in close
collaboration together:

SERVE ON (United Kingdom)

Serbian Rescue Team (SRT, Serbia)
Central Buda Volunteer Civil Protection Association
(ÖPVE, Hungary)

More information on these teams may be found on the VIATICUM

project website:

https://www.viaticumrescue.eu/who-are-we/

The Emergency Fire & Rescue Unit (EFRU, Malta) has also
supported the creation of this field guide, while overall coordination
was performed by Edelweiss (Italy).

Editing of this field guide has been entrusted to Trevor Calafato,

who has also edited Rescue Techniques for Emergency Response: An
Introductory Manual for European Volunteer Rescuers Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Water and Flood Rescue Contributors | 5

Water and Flood Rescue Preface | 6

Preface
The purpose of these field guides is to act as a quick reference tool
while being operational. Written and compiled by rescuers with
vast expertise in different kinds of rescue techniques and who
authored both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 of Rescue Techniques for Emergency
Response: An Introductory Manual for European Volunteer Rescuers;
these field guides contain a pool of techniques that are in use and
have been tested in various circumstances.

The aim is to provide a platform that briefs the various rescue

methods that could be utilized in diverse scenarios. As editor I
could only commend and laud such initiative, where the intention
is that even in times of pressure the deployed rescuers can assess
the effectiveness and functionality of these different approaches
while facing dire circumstances.

Thus, I hope that the ambition expressed by these authors to provide

advice and guidance, that adhere to best practices within the field
in a succinct and comprehensive, yet easy manner, is well received
and fulfils its principal utilities – the saving of lives while keeping
the rescuer relatively safe.

Trevor Calafato
Editor
Introduction
The Water and Flood Rescue field guide has been developed as a
supplement to the introductory manual for European volunteer
rescuers: Rescue Techniques for Emergency Response Volume 1, which
has a corresponding chapter on Water and Flood Rescue.

The introductory manual provides volunteer rescuers with a good

overview of this rescue discipline. The field guide complements this
by providing a handy aide-memoire covering common aspects of
the discipline, as well as assisting volunteer rescuers from different
European countries to communicate more effectively by having
a common reference.

This field guide starts off by covering the essentials of the subject.
It then covers hazards associated with water rescue, before moving
on to rescue and medical considerations associated with this rescue
discipline.

Water and Flood Rescue Introduction | 7

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 8

Essentials
This section focuses on the basic requirements and recommendations
for the individual rescuer and the rescue team working in water
and flood rescue.

Terminology

Orientation

River Left Downstream

Upstream
River Right

By river terminology convention, it is assumed that the river is

flowing away from the observer when determining upstream,
downstream, river left or river right.
Types of Water Flow
The main types of water flow are laminar flow and helical flow.

Laminar Flow
•  Orderly flow of water
•  Speed varies close to friction sources (e.g. riverbed)
•  Minimal mixing across layers of water

Helical Flow
•  Circular motion of water due to contact with rough surfaces
•  Common along riverbanks especially steep-sided / man-made
banks
•  May push debris and people back into the main laminar flow

Embankment Helical flow

Laminar flow

Helical versus Laminar flow

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 9

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 10

Current Vector
The path undertaken by flowing water is defined as the current
vector which has the following characteristics:
•  Water travels in straight lines until it interacts with other
objects.
•  Water flow paths do not follow the shape of the water course.
•  It travels in a series of zigzags rather than smooth ‘S’ shapes.

Flow path of water (current vector)

Hydrological Features
Cushion wave
•  Created when water hits a solid object and is forced upward
before passing around the sides.
•  Indicates an obstruction, such as a rock or boulder, in the
water.

Standing wave
•  Caused by a submerged object creating a disturbance/wave as
water passes over it.
•  Indicates the presence of obstacles below the surface level.

Undercuts
•  Undercuts are hollowed out sections of the riverbank, caused
by water erosion.
•  These are often hidden from view by the water itself and may
collapse without warning.

Eddies
•  An eddy is an area of low pressure behind an object
surrounded by flowing water.
•  Eddies may offer safe areas where a casualty, or rescuers, can
swim to.

Eddy fence / line

•  This is a separation line between the main flow of water and
the low-pressure eddy.

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Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 12

Upstream V
•  A disturbance in water caused by a single object, creating a ‘V’
shape in the water.
•  The convergence point is upstream of the object.

Downstream V
•  A disturbance in the water caused by water flowing between
two objects.
•  The convergence point is downstream of the two objects.
 Cushion wave
River left
River right

Upstream Eddy
current

Neutral current

Downstream current

Upstream V
Downstream V

Current behaviour in an Eddy

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 13

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 14

Flooding
Fluvial flooding
•  Occurs when a river overtops its banks and spills into
surrounding areas.
•  This may happen some distance away from the area of
original rainfall.
•  It may be aggravated by high tides or storm surges, as rivers
will be unable to flow freely into the sea.

Pluvial flooding
•  Occurs when the volume of rain exceeds the drainage
capacity of an area.
•  Previous levels of ground saturation and the porosity of soil
can worsen the effects.
•  Sewers often flood during such periods due to the high levels
of water flowing through them, and the lack of areas to drain
into.

Inundation
•  Coastal flooding with high tides, combined with low
atmospheric pressure and wind direction that significantly
raises sea levels, overtopping defences and flooding land.

Tsunamis
•  Tsunamis are gigantic waves caused by underwater seismic
events (earthquakes).
•  These waves can travel great distances, increasing in height as
they approach shallower waters.
•  Low lying coastal areas and estuaries will be at great risk of
being hit by a tsunami.
•  Tsunamis may reach shores very far from the location of the
original earthquake.
Phases of Flooding
1: Pre-flooding
•  The stage where significant rain is being forecasted.
•  Authorities start to prepare for any assistance that may be
needed.
•  Responsible agency starts planning and assigning available
resources where expected to be needed most.

2: Flash flood
•  Rapid rise of fast flowing waters due to sudden heavy rain.
•  High risk environment for casualties and rescuers.

3: Wide area / lateral expansion

•  Rivers burst their banks or the sea overtops sea defences
creating wide area flooding.
•  Work may last several days and many evacuations take place.
•  Very resource intensive due to the large number of people
affected.
•  Authorities most likely to request the assistance of volunteers
at this stage, as full-time resources start to be overwhelmed.

4: Recovery
•  Follows the end of the rescue phase, marked by the return of
population to the area.
•  Although water levels start to recede, hazardous material may
still be present.
•  Repair to damaged buildings and infrastructure starts, aiming
at the restoration of normal services as soon as possible.

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 15

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 16

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The most common PPE used by water rescuers are the following:

Helmet

Personal flotation device

Lifejacket light

Throw bag
and belt
Dry suit

Gloves

Boots
Helmet
•  Must be specific for water rescue
Personal flotation device
•  Must conform to ISO 12402-6:2006 or equivalent
•  Fit properly so as not to ride up when in the water
•  Should have a rear attachment for the quick release cows-tail
system
•  Provide some insulation and impact protection
•  Should not limit arm movement
•  Equipment such as knives and whistles can be attached to the
exterior
•  Pockets can contain useful items like carabiners and slings
Lifejacket light
•  C-Strobe ™ H2O or light stick according to team preference
Dry suit
•  Should keep the wearer dry and warm
•  Provide wind protection
•  Ease of movement
•  Protection from water contaminants
•  Regular maintenance is required.
•  Collars and cuffs can either be latex or neoprene
Gloves
•  Full neoprene gloves provide best protection from cold and
sharp objects
•  Wearing lightweight plastic gloves underneath provides best
hygiene protection

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 17

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 18

Throw bag and belt

•  Come in various lengths
•  Quick release belt makes deploying easier
Boots
•  Need to be canyoning or scrambling type shoes to provide
good grip on wet surfaces
•  Thick-soled wetsuit boots are also preferable
•  Boots with laces may cause an entrapment risk, so care
should be taken
Other considerations
Base layers: Thermal, one- or two-piece, lightweight or neoprene
depending on environmental conditions.
Skull cap: Neoprene gives extra thermal protection.
Shin pads: Normal sports shin pads worn under socks can provide
added impact protection.
Impact protection shorts: Help protect coccyx against impact
injuries.

Communication
Water rescue operations are often conducted in noisy environments
where it is difficult to communicate verbally so other signalling
methods are used by rescuers.

Hand Signals

OK Stop

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Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 20

Distress Need Medical Attention

Move towards indicated direction (arm above horizontal)

or pointing to a hazard (arm below horizontal)
Whistle Signals

Stop or
attention towards signaller
(1 blast)
 

Attention to upstream or
move upstream
 
(2 blasts – may be followed by pointing
or verbal instructions)  

Attention to downstream or
move downstream
   
(3 blasts – may be followed by pointing
or verbal instructions)  

Emergency
(3 blasts repeated)
 
 
repeated

Helmet Colours
The helmet colour is used to indicate the training level and role
of the operator.
•  Yellow – First Responder
•  Red – Technician
•  White – Team Commander
•  Black – Instructor (during training only)

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Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 22

Working Zones
Working zones are defined in order to reduce risk, by limiting
personnel in high risk areas and mandating training and PPE
requirements according to the risk in each zone.

•  3 metres from •  Within 3 metres •  Highest risk

the water’s edge from the water’s area
or further edge •  Fully trained
•  Regular PPE •  PFD required personnel only
•  Support •  Direct support •  Full water
functions to rescuers / rescue PPE
safety cover
•  No bystanders

Working zones delineation

Lines and Knots Principles
This section does not go into detail of knots used since these are
covered in the Basic Rescue pocket field guide. Some principles
applicable to water rescue are mentioned instead.

Clean Line Principle

In water rescue, ropes must be releasable in order to prevent rescuers
becoming entrapped. In the following photo, the rescuer is braced
to absorb the shock load, and a clean line has been adopted.

Rescuer demonstrating the clean line principle

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 23

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 24

No Knot
One of the knots used in water rescue that demonstrates the clean
line principle, is the “No Knot”, also known as the tensionless
hitch. This knot is used to secure a line, by wrapping it several
times around an immobile object. The friction between the line
and the object maintains the tension in the line without the rope
slipping around the object. However, if the line needs to be removed
quickly it can be released.

“No Knot”, or tensionless hitch

Tension Diagonal
A line is tensioned across the river at an angle to the current flow. It
is used for transportation (rescuers, boats, equipment) or to provide
downstream safety. As the current pushes the object (rescuer, boat,
etc.) forward, the diagonal line moves the object to the side that
is downstream. The line may be tensioned using a tree, another
fixed object, or may even be held by rescuers.
 Direction of current

Tension
diagonal

Direction of movement

Tension Diagonals

Water and Flood Rescue Essentials | 25

Water and Flood Rescue Hazards | 26

Hazards
Rescue operations in water present several hazards to rescuers
and casualties. Safety in such rescue operations starts with
understanding these hazards and taking the required precautions.

Flowing Water Hazards

Siphons
•  A powerful local flow of water formed by water squeezed
between gaps formed by solid objects obstructing the flow
(such as boulders or a vehicle).
•  May pull a person underneath the water due to the force of
the water.

Strainers and sieves

•  Strainers and sieves are caused by obstructions through
which water can pass, but larger objects cannot.
•  These can either be natural or man-made.
•  Rescuers or casualties can get trapped in strainers and sieves.

Sweepers
•  Objects which may cause obstructions on the surface of the
water e.g. a tree branch.
•  This may block a floating person in the water, who may be
held there by the force of the water and may even be pulled
underneath the surface.
 Sweepers: overhanging obstacles
such as limbs and branches

Strainers: current pushes victim/object

into underwater sieve-like obstacles

Strainers and sweepers

Recirculating hydraulics
•  Changes in water levels cause the water to recirculate
beneath the surface forming a spiral current.
•  This is normally caused by the presence of a weir, or a small
dam.
•  Any floating person or object in this area will be forced under
water and into the recirculating current.
•  The area past the recirculating hydraulic where water starts
flowing downstream again is sometimes visible as a line of
‘boiling’ water effect.

Water and Flood Rescue Hazards | 27

Water and Flood Rescue Hazards | 28

Upstream

Danger! Boil line

Backwash Downstream
Weir

Riverbed
Recirculating
hydraulic
Recirculating hydraulic

Boil line
Delineation between the recirculating
water hydraulic and the onward flow.

Boil line
Flood Hazards
When responding to flooding incidents, rescuers need to keep in
mind the various hazards they may encounter. Examples of such
hazards, broadly categorised as physical, HAZMAT, utilities and
personal hazards are shown below:

physical
•  Siphons
•  Moving debris
•  Entrapment risk
•  Uneven and slippery
surfaces
•  Decreased lighting
•  Adverse weather
•  Drowning
•  Hypothermia
hazmat
•  Sewage
•  Industrial run-off
(unknown chemicals)
•  Agricultural run-off
(fertilisers)
•  Infection from
contaminated water

utilities personal
•  Electricity •  Extended working hours
•  Gas •  Dehydration
•  Oil tanks •  Exhaustion
•  Fuel

Water and Flood Rescue Hazards | 29

Water and Flood Rescue Rescue Considerations | 30

Rescue Considerations
This section delves deeper into the considerations that are to be
taken during water rescue operations.

Rescue Priorities
As in any other rescue operation, water rescue situations require
priority to be given to the safety of all people involved. A rescue
team can only be effective when capable to work without being
adversely affected by the incident.
Every rescuer’s priorities should be as follows:

1. self

2. team

3. bystanders

4. casualties
Stages of Rescue
Water and flood rescue operations usually go through four stages
that may be remembered using the acronym LAST [Locate, Access,
Stabilise, and Transport]:

•  Use eye witness information

LOCATE

•  Determine last known location

•  Use direction and flow of water
•  Perform systematic searches

•  Identify route possibilities

ACCESS

•  Determine the safety of each route

•  Choose the best route to reach the casualty
•  Select a backup route if necessary

•  Assess the casualty

STABILISE

•  Determine medical priorities

•  Stabilise the casualty
•  Brief the rescue team on the condition(s)
•  Determine required rescue methods
TRANSPORT

•  Select a safe and secure transport method

•  Take into account injuries
•  Aim at being efficient
•  Use most rapid means

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Water and Flood Rescue Rescue Considerations | 32

Types of Rescue
There are two main types of water rescue that ultimately determine
the level of risk needed to be undertaken:
1. Conditional: this relies on the casualty being able to assist
in their own rescue and gives safer rescue method options to
the rescuers.
2. True: this will take place when the casualty cannot assist in
their own rescue, and consequently a ‘hands-on’ rescue becomes
a necessity.
Methods of Rescue
When selecting which method should be employed in a water
rescue operation, it is recommended to go through the options
in a sequence that presents the lowest risks to rescuers first, as
presented in the following table.
shout
talk /

Encourage the casualty to self-rescue by

giving clear and concise instruction.

Reach for the casualty with a wading pole,

tree branch, inflated fire hose, etc.
reach

Rescuers do not need to get into the water.

Ensure safe footing to avoid being pulled into
the water.

Throw a line, lifebuoy or similar object to the

throw

casualty to guide them towards the shore.

Select appropriate throwing technique to
reach the casualty.

Use wading techniques to enter the water to

reach the casualty.
Select appropriate technique depending on
wade

number of rescuers, equipment, current

strength and depth of water.
This presents a high risk to rescuers as they
must enter the water.

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Water and Flood Rescue Rescue Considerations | 34

Use a boat or rescue sled to get to the

casualty.
Rescuers may row to reach the casualty or
the boat may be tethered to a line (tension
row

diagonal).
An uncrewed boat/sled may be guided to the
casualty if it is tethered.
This has a slightly lower risk than wading, but
still the boat may capsize.

This requires a rescuer to swim to the

casualty.
tow

Once casualty has been reached, the rescuer

tows the casualty back to safety.
A line may be used to tether the rescuer.

A helicopter may be considered to reach

casualties, especially in the case of wide rivers
or very strong currents.
The time required for deployment needs to be
helo

carefully considered.
Obstacles that may present hazards to the
helicopter and crew may preclude the use of a
helicopter.

The decision of not pursuing a rescue

do not go

operation must always remain an option!

Continuous assessment of the situation and
the level of risk to the rescuer must be a
priority.
Some Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s
Do deploy upstream and downstream spotters (rescuers on
the lookout for dangers and also to keep track of a casualty
being carried by the flowing water).
Do have multiple back up plans.
Do apply the clean line principle and manage lines at all times.
Do stay upstream of rope systems.
Do enforce the priorities of rescue (self, team, equipment,
bystander, casualty).
Do a DRA and apply the rescue formula.
Do avoid lone working.

Don’ts
Do not let urgency and emotion drive the rescue.
Do not ever tie a rope around a rescuer who will enter the
water (the rope is normally tied to the PFD in such a way that
it may be released by the rescuer in an emergency).
Do not tension a line at 90 degrees to the current vector.
Do not go within 3m of the risk area without suitable training
and full PPE.
Do not put your feet down if swept away by the water – feet
may get stuck under boulders or other obstructions, causing
serious injury.
Do not stand in the bights of lines.

Water and Flood Rescue Rescue Considerations | 35

Water and Flood Rescue Rescue Considerations | 36

Vehicles in Water
Water rescue that involves vehicles submerged in water, should
entail additional considerations, which include:
•  Due to the weight of the engine, vehicles often turn to point
upstream.
•  Consideration needs to be given to the surface that the
vehicle is resting on, as this may mean that the vehicle can
move easily.
•  Water flowing underneath the vehicle creates the risk of a
siphon for the rescuer.
•  Rescuers need to remain aware of additional hazards created
by damages to vehicles, such as broken glass or fluids leaking
from the vehicle.
•  Rescuers should approach the vehicle from the side and avoid
moving behind the vehicle until it is secured.
•  When applying LAST to the stages of rescue, the Stabilise
stage should include preventing further movement of the
vehicle. This should be given priority before tending to the
casualty.
•  Once the vehicle is stabilized, casualties should be
encouraged to move onto the roof.
•  Lines can be thrown to the casualties to ensure they can be
recovered if the vehicle does suddenly move.
Self-Rescue
When rescuers are deployed in water, or in the eventuality of falling
accidentally, they need to remain aware of the need to self-rescue,
and the associated techniques.
The rescuer should adopt a defensive swimming position in order to:
•  Rest
•  Look towards the direction of travel
•  Search for the best place to exit the water

The defensive position involves the rescuer to:

•  Stay on the back
•  Keep feet facing downstream
•  Keep the knees close to the surface and slightly bent to fend
off obstacles
•  Keep buttocks raised to avoid submerged objects
•  Utilise the flow of the water to move in the intended
direction

Defensive swimming technique

Water and Flood Rescue Rescue Considerations | 37

Water and Flood Rescue Medical Considerations | 38

Medical Considerations
All rescue operations are ultimately centred around taking care of
the casualty’s medical needs. Water incidents may provide particular
medical challenges that require additional rescuer awareness.

Hypothermia
The body loses temperature 25 times quicker in the water, which
could easily lead to hypothermia. Therefore, water rescue is time
critical and requires apposite thermal protection of both the rescuer
and the casualty.

Mild (32–35°C) Moderate (28–32°C) Severe (< 28°C)

Feeling cold Confusion Shivering stops

Shivering Loss of motor Completely altered

control mental state

Apathy Slurred speech Unconsciousness

worsens

Amnesia Decreased level of Death

consciousness

Slurred speech Shivering starts

becoming less
obvious

Some loss of fine

motor control
Hypothermia symptoms
Waterborne Illnesses
Waterborne illnesses such as leptospirosis, hepatitis A and cholera
present a genuine risk to rescuers.
•  All those entering the water should ensure any cuts to the
skin are covered.
•  Full decontamination of hands and face should be performed
before eating or drinking.
•  Any rescuer showing symptoms of colds, flu or gastro-
intestinal disturbances should visit a healthcare provider and
clearly inform that they have recently been in the water to
ensure an adequate medical intervention.

Drowning
The chain of events that takes place when a person is drowning
shows that cardiac arrest in drowning is caused by hypoxia, a lack
of oxygen in the tissues.
Rescuers should initially administer 5 rescue breaths. Replacing the
lack of oxygen is key to the successful resuscitation of a drowned
casualty.

Water and Flood Rescue Medical Considerations | 39

Water and Flood Rescue Medical Considerations | 40

breath holding

laryngospasm

water swallowing

reflex relaxes – water in lungs

hypoxia worsens

bradycardia

cardiac arrest

Chain of events in drowning incidents

Rescue vs Recovery
A rescue of a live casualty and the recovery of a deceased body
require different approaches as a different level of risk tolerance,
urgency and resource allocation needs to be afforded in each case.
In water-related incidents involving casualty submersion, a
decision-making model based on the water temperature and the
time elapsed since the casualty entered the water helps to determine
which approach will be taken.

Submersion time unknown?

Start clock on arrival at scene

Is the water temperature less than 6 ℃?

Yes No

Survival unlikely if Survival unlikely if

submerged longer than submerged longer than
90 minutes 30 minutes

Rescue or recovery? Tipton and Golden (2011) decision making model

Water and Flood Rescue Medical Considerations | 41

Water and Flood Rescue Medical Considerations | 42

Casualty Handling
Another important consideration is the method used in removing a
casualty from cold water into a watercraft. Ideally, removal from cold
water should be performed keeping the casualty horizontal. This
is important to mitigate against the effect of hydrostatic squeeze
on blood pressure in a casualty who has been in the water for a
long time. If the casualty is raised out of the water vertically, blood
flows down to the legs, causing a sudden loss of blood pressure,
leading to fainting or even cardiac arrest.
Using the Jacob’s cradle rescue technique, the rescuers roll the
casualty onto the boat in a horizontal position. This can also be
improvised by using two slings placed under the casualty’s armpits
and knees.

Jacob’s cradle lift into a rescue boat

Another method of getting a casualty into a watercraft in a

horizontal position is the Egyptian roller. The casualty is placed
on a rescue board and a paddle is used to ‘roll’ the board on to
the rescue craft.
 Egyptian Roller

Water and Flood Rescue Medical Considerations | 43

Water and Flood Rescue Conclusion & References | 44

Conclusion
The Water and Flood Rescue field guide presents basic concepts
applicable to water-related rescue operations, intended to
complement and augment the introductory information presented
within the Rescue Techniques for Emergency Response Volume 1.
This field guide seeks to present information that may be useful
to the volunteer rescuer ‘in the field’ and may also be useful as a
communication tool between volunteers who may not share the
same language.

References
This field guide has been prepared with reference to:
•  Calafato, T. (Ed.), Rescue Techniques for Emergency Response,
Volume 1, (Malta: EVOLSAR, 2017).
•  Kauffman, R., Swiftwater Rescue Course Manual, (Garrett
College, 2018).
•  Rescue 3 Europe, Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician,
(Rescue 3 International, Inc, 2019).
List of Abbreviations
DRA Dynamic risk assessment
HAZMAT Hazardous material
LAST Locate, access, stabilise, transport
PFD Personal flotation device
PPE Personal protective equipment

Water and Flood Rescue List of Abbreviations | 45

Water and Flood Rescue Image Credits | 46

Image Credits
Bonnici, Joseph – EFRU
Pages: 8 (edit), 9 (adaptation), 10, 13 (adaptation), 20,
24 (adaptation), 27 (top).

Diez, Rick and Iowa Whitewater Coalition

(www.iowawhitewater.org)
Page: 27 (bottom).

Dunford, Dave – SERVE ON

Pages: 16, 22, 36.

Goodfreephotos.com
Page: 8 (base photo).

Mizzi, Josef – EFRU

Cover page, Water Rescue pictogram.
Page: 23.

Nikolaou, Elina – CCPVC

Pages: 18-19, 21, 26, 41-42.

Pipicelli, Pasquale – Edelweiss

VIATICUM project logo.

Image adapted from: “Swiftwater and Flood Rescue

Technician”, Rescue 3 Europe.
Page: 24.
Image adapted from: “Swiftwater Rescue Course Manual”,
Kauffman, R.
Page: 13.

Image adapted from: “Swiftwater Rescue First Responder”,

Los Angeles County Fire Dept.
Page: 9.

Water and Flood Rescue Image Credits | 47

Project Leader

Project Partners

ISBN: 978-9918-0-0202-3

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