Seven Core Skills
Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 12:25PM R3-Rescue for River Runners is a premier resource for instructors, professionals and amateur river rescue enthusiasts. In addition to its award-winning 12-video series, this app helps professionals and amateur river instructors retain and teach essential rescue techniques in a concise and consistent manner.
1. Paddling
Improving your boating skills will enhance your rescue capacity. You will have a greater ability to access subjects in hard to get to spots. Better boats also have the ability to tow and plow subjects and their equipment to shore. Strive to be a better PADDLER!
2. Swimming
We are all "in-between swims". The ability to self rescue is one of, if not, our most valuable skill. Whitewater swimming is also a very "field expedient" was to access our subjects. By swimming to them we do not need to figure out getting out of or back into our boat. It is sometimes easier to swim someone to shoe than boat them to shore. Strive to be a better PADDLER!
3. Throwing
We need good, powerful accurate throws when emergencies arise. Throwing is a skill that only improves with practice. Try focussing your practice on both distance and accuracy and hopefully it will come through for you when you need it most. Strive to be a better THROWER!
4. Wading
Sometimes it is too shallow for us to swim. We need to be good at being agile, moving from rock to rock, combining wading and swimming to get out to people and stabilize them. Strive to be a better WADER!
5. Tethered Rescue Swimming (Live Bait Rescue) is one of the biggest advancements in Swiftwater Rescue over the past 20 years. Becoming a “throwbag with hands”allows us to rescue people that cannot catch a throwbag. It is a form of “True Rescue”as it does not rely on the subject to be part of saving themselves (Conditional Rescue). It is now the “go to”rescue for many steep drops and powerful holes. Strive to be a better TETHERED RESCUER!
6. Rigging
Rigging and technical rope work often comes in handy for us out on the river. Familiarity to effectively and securly use rope systems will distinguish you from the rest of the rescuer pack. For these systems to work we need some training, practice as well as some good judgement (in particular ensuring we are using appropriate equipment). Strive to be a better RIGGER!
7. Strategy
Once we have a foundation of basic skills we need to know where, when and how to use them effectively. This is where strategy come into play. Things like communication, resource management, I.C.S./M.E., everything that has to do with thinking relates to strategy. Strive to be a better STRATEGIST!
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