NZRA River Safety Training Course and Workshop

2020 November 16-19, Murchison, New Zealand

First two days were training course, day three and four were workshop and olympic scenarios.

Day 1

Morning at the base:

• Gear
• Knots & Hitches:
  • Figure 8 / bight / direct / follow through
  • Bowline
  • Sheet
  • Italian
  • Truckers
  • Clove (+ releasable)
  • Fisherman
  • Prussik
• Signals
• River safety

Afternoon at the Mangles river:

• Swimming
• Rope throwing:
  • One swimmer
  • Two separate swimmers
  • Group of three swimmers
• River crossing

Day 2

Morning at the base:

• Mechanical advantage systems:
  • 1:1 - direct rope line
  • 2:1 - eg. for vertical hoist
  • 3:1 - z-drag
  • 4:1 - pig rig
• Stabilization line
• Stab line + cinch

Afternoon at the Mangles river:

• Swimming
• Live bait
• Rope throwing
• Stabilization line
• Stab line + release buckle swim
• Getting on a raft from the river
• Raft travel down and up rapids and tether
• Steel beam rubbish removal from the river

Day 3

Morning at the base:

• Gear
• Knots
• Signals
• First aid
• Mechanical advantage systems

Afternoon at the Mangles and Buller river confluence:

• Swimming
• Rope throwing
• Live baiting
• Rope cutting
• Release buckle swim
• Getting onto raft from water
• First aid scenarios

Day 4

Morning at the base:

• First aid

Morning at the Mangles and Buller river confluence:

• Vertical hoist river rescue scenario
• Breaking things using mechanical advantage systems

Afternoon at the Matakitaki:

• Raft travel up and down G3 rapid
• Raft tether
• River search with paddle
• River search from raft by rescuer
• River search for a victim
• Stab line with cinch of entraped victim

Summary

I have done a lot of things for the first time during the course.

First time on a raft. Moving it down and up rapids, tethering.

First time in G3 water. First time rope throwing and live baiting.

First time doing search and rescue scenario practice and active search for a victim.