MSRC Casualty Techniques

Question 1

Casualty Pick Ups

Answer 1

The key considerations include:
- Pick-ups should be conducted with bow into the flow where possible, even if the driver needs to navigate past the casualty downstream and conduct a tight turn.
- The driver should sit and wait for the casualty to float toward the boat, not drive at them. This will increase both time and accuracy for the driver.
- Casualty should be picked up on the driver’s side of the craft. This allows maximum vision for the driver.
- Good verbal commands to be given to the casualty by the crewperson.
- Don’t load the casualty until the driver has idled down on the throttle. This releases pressure off the casualty and the water and makes loading easier for the crewperson.
- Once contact is made between the casualty and the crewperson the driver must have eyes up and focus on driving the boat and the crafts position in the river.
- If the casualty goes under the boat the crewperson calls “Under, Under, Under”. The driver should shut the engine down, lock the engine up and go to paddles. Once the casualty is downstream of the craft the driver can try again.