NJ EMT dies in water rescue

[Richard B the EMT]

So, they get sent to a car in the water and decide to enter the water without confirmation of whether there is anyone in the vehicle, decide after getting in the water that its too dangerous to proceed then one of them dies.

Does that sum it up?

Yeah, i think i have a problem with it.

I think that, in most jurisdictions, when there is a vehicle into the water, the way to determine "confirmation" the vehicle being occupied or not is going to remain entering the water for a look-see. As someone might have attempted a murder/suicide, then change their mind on the suicide, not reporting someone still in the vehicle, the local FD or the LEOs still have to check it out. I suspect that this was the circumstance of the rescuers being in the water in the first place.

[tniuqs]

Curtesy of PNN news http://www.paramedic-network-news.com/

** A Sunday morning water rescue attempt in New Jersey has cost the life of an EMT. WPVI (August 29) said Princeton rescuer Michael Kenwood succumbed to injuries incurred after being swept away by fast moving rapids brought on by Hurricane Irene. According to the newspaper, Kenwood was a member of the swift water rescue team. He had been dispatched to a vehicle on a flooded waterway to determine if any occupants were still inside. Told to stand down when conditions became too dangerous, Kenwood apparently lost his grip as an attempt was made to move him to safety. The vehicle was later determined to have been abandoned.

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...g-kootenay.html

A dive team has recovered the body of a 29-year-old search and rescue volunteer who drowned Wednesday during efforts to check a submerged car on the fast-flowing Goat River in southeast B.C. Sheilah Sweatman, of Ymir, a small community near Nelson, died after falling from a boat, and is the first search and rescue volunteer in B.C. to be killed in the line of duty."At about 4:15 p.m. during the course of their search efforts, utilizing swift-water line equipment and a swift-water craft, one of the search and rescue members went overboard into the river and did not surface," the RCMP said in a release Wednesday, before the body was found.The vehicle was later determined to have been abandoned.

Well as we let AK and Ruff sort out Gods involvement (in another thread) we are seeing an alarming trend here with drowning's during swift water rescue, hence one must logically must address cause, in case one this all dependant on "reporters" and some "conjecture" but both were called "trained" so just who trained them would be my first question, is that the famous International 3 course and golden accepted standard ?

I personally have a fair amount of experience in this area and have been involved with many real rescue situations in SW, Open water and Heavy Seas (more being in the right place at the right time that said) and I do NOT have that "ticket" in my plethora of cards in my wallet. Recovering the bodies, well I have too much experience in that area ... so what to do ?

So what is going on, is the training received delinquent ?

Or are the rescuers not following the established safety rules ?

When I was involved as an Instructor in this area .. Lines, Lines, Lines they can help or they can kill you.

No intent to disrespect the lost but to rationally deal with this issue one must put emotions aside and address the root cause, point being we can learn from others tragic mistakes and typically / statistically 3 errors are made before a fatality occurs.

Edited August 31, 2011 by tniuqs