Ice Rescuer Flashcards
Effects of Current
-River ice is 15% weaker than lake ice
-Swift water extremely dangerous
Ice strength factors
-Pure water: freezes faster and deeper than w/ impurities or pollutants
Candle ice
-Looks like many candles bundled together
-ice rotting in the final stages of deterioration
Porus and weak
Rubble Ice
-large areas where prolonged pressure has created very rough terrain
Pressure ridge or windrow
-Rows of ice piles formed by wind driven masses of plate ice that have collided
-appr 70% of the height is below water
Pack Ice
Accumulation of ice floes formed by wind, waves or current. Ice fragments are larger than those used to describe
-brash ice
-pack ice bigger
-brash ice smaller
Fast ice
-ice that is “fastened to the coast line or fixed object
When detaching from shore it becomes an ice floe
Ice floe
-flat piece of ice, 10’ in diameter or larger
-floe may consist of a single unbroken piece or many combined fragments of ice
Polynya
-open pools or irregular, isolated openings in the ice
-caused by the rejoining of large floes or localized disturbances in the water that keep an area from freezing
Ice lead
Large open crack
-greater than 3’ wide
-less than 3’ wide is open crack
Ice fracture or crack
-any fracture in the ice that can be open or clustered
-could have weaker ice near crack
Layered ice
-Combination of two or more types of ice
-pockets of air and porous ice layers may not be suitable for ice anchor
Snow ice
-Opaque or milky
-formed from the freezing of water soaked snow
-weak ice
Clear or plate ice
-formed by long, hard freezes without wind
-clear ice is usually the strongest ice
-Nick named glass ice
Pancake ice
-formed when temps drop and gradual ice clusters start to freeze together and form plates of ice
-are rounded and have raised edges
Frazil/slush ice
-Disk shaped crystals form and grow suspended in the water
-looks like a slushie
-will not support a rescuers weight
3 questions
How long you been in the water
Are you alone
Can you feel your arms and legs
Ice anchor
-7.5 in hollow core chrome alloy stainless steel
-sharp teeth and threads protected by sheath
-handle also has tending line attachment point
Endless sling
- 1” x 5’ nylon loop
-attached to nearby object
-choke or basket
Tending line bag
-200’ line bag has external anchor kit, storage pouch
-carabiner
-hook float
-ice anchor
-5’ endless sling
-aluminum non locking carabiner
Tending line reel
550’
-9mm hollow braided line w/carbiner and 2 small floats
-coreless line remains light weight atop water covered ice
-secured to anchor point using endless sling and carabiner
Hand signals
Avast-arm straight up w/ fist
Ease- wave arm up and down vertically
Heave around- hold arm up and in circular motion
Help- vigorously wave arm or both arms
Ice staff
6-7’
-used to determine ice quality
-adds stability when transiting rough terrain
Determine questionable ice
-use the ice staff to tap in a semi-circle in front of you
-good ice: hard resonant sound
-bad ice: dead thud
Initial action report
-detailed location
-status of survivor
-wearing pfd
-alone or with group
-gender
-age
Marsars board
-propelled by rescuer using ice awls
-used as survivor extraction sled
-supports rescuer over “questionable ice”
Skif ice
-may be used for short haul cases
-ideal for in water rescue and can be used to pull survivor out of the water
-open water 1/2 mile offshore
-max seas less than foot
-max wind 20kts
-towing none
Max weight 2000 lbs
Long haul
1000 yards from shore
Skif ice
-3 chambered I-beam craft
-polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride
-15’4” 15’6” length
-48” width
-12” tube diameter
-8’ floor length
-22” x 40” access holes
-60 lbs
-3 air chambers
-engine weight 54lbs
Skif outfit
-2 paddles
-2 inflation tanks
-tow shield
-engine and mount
-deck carpet
-2 ice anchors
-storage bag
Signs of hypothermia
-shivering
-pale skin
-labored breathing
-slurred speech
-dilated pupils
-weak pulse
-unconscious
Stage 1 hypothermia
Mild 90-95 degrees
Awake and shivering
Stage 2 hypothermia
82-90
Drowsy and not shivering
Stage 3 hypothermia
75-82
Unconscious not shivering
Stage 4 hypothermia
Less than 75
No vital signs
After drop
-continued core cooling after removal from cold exposure
-increased in blood flow w/ the movement or re warming of the extremities results in the cold blood returning to the heart
Circum-rescue collapse
-loss of consciousness or sudden death occurring in survivors of cold water immersion just before, during, or after rescue and removal from water
-caused by life threatening hypotension
Swift water
-water moving 2ft in 1 second is moving at a rate of 1.2 kts
Principals of foot searches
-must include a member that has completed SAR Funds
-area is no greater than 1 square mile
-limited to w/in 1/2 mile from shore
-no more than 4 hour search w/out SMC concurrence
Hasty search
-used to quickly check high probability areas
-high probability: fish shanties, broken ice, well traveled routes/trails
Grid foot search
-due to manpower and time, usually last resort
-searches move slowly and deliberately in a direction or pattern at 1.5-2 knots
Team grid search
-same as grid but formed into formations
-formations: line abreast , V formation, slant formation
-have guide and team leader
Not always the same person
Other searches
-contour search: along shoreline detect clues
-circular search: use anchor use line to maintain spacing
Ice rescue rig
-4 wool blankets
-6 Mk-127
-1 vhf radio
-2 handheld GPS
-1 cellphone
-cell back up power
-4 type 1s 3 adult 1 child
-2 mono night vision
-2 flashlights
-2 safety harness
-2 marsars boards
-6 ice awls
-2 cold water rescue slings
-1 550’ line reel
-2 75’ throw bags
-2 150/200’ tend line bag
-1 hypothermia recovery capsule
-3 blizzard bags
-5 survivor hypothermia caps
-6 head lamps
-1 10x25 binoculars
-1 handheld compass
-1 10 person first aid kit
-6 QuickDraws
-2 prusik pulleys
-6 70-80” ice staffs
-2 quick strips
PPE
-Ice rescue boots
-ice awls
-type iii
-rescue harness
-SAR vest
-neoprene hood
-helmet
-head lamp
-goggles
-neoprene gloves
Frostbite
-damage to skin tissue caused by freezing.
-very cold skin can freeze in minutes or seconds
-treatment
Four stages: 1-2 superficial
3-4 deep tissue
Frost nip
-a mild form of cold injury
-risk factors: alcohol, smoking, fatigue, diseases (diabetes)
-symptoms: cold sensation, white/yellow skin, numbness, clumsiness
-extreme pain during rewarming
-treatment: rewarming w/ passive heat
1-10-1 rule
One minute to get breathing under control
Ten minutes of meaningful movement
1 hour of consciousness
Vasconstriction
-contraction of muscular walls
-increases blood pressure
-extremities are pale and more prone to cold injuries
Brash ice
Conglomerations of small ice fragments broken off from other ice fragments caused by weather or the passage of vessels
-very loose brash ice is called drift ice
Hypothermia
Medical emergency that occurs when the body looses heat faster than it can produce
Caused by prolonged exposure to water temps below 72 degrees
Use H.E.L.P
