Summit County Rescue Group prepares Swift Water Rescue team after deadly year
After an exceptionally deadly year on the water in Colorado, Summit County Rescue Group is preparing its swift water rescue team to deal with fast-moving waters.
"We had a pretty good snowpack this year, with the melt off and the amount of precipitation that we have been getting lately all of those factors contributed to what the end result is... a pretty good season," said Matt Parker, Summit County Rescue Group water rescue team and swift water rescue technicians.
The team got together Wednesday evening along the Blue River, north of Silverthorne, to do both contact rescues and rope bag rescues.
Members of the rescue team took turns floating down, feet first, sometimes bumping off rocks and being ready to grab hold of the rope flying over their heads. It's a skill they don't want to have to use but will if they have to.
"We're going to have 15 people thinking about going into get one person," Ciullo said. "So, when you're making those decisions (to get in the river), remember it is not only you, but I'm also going to put the lives of many rescuers in jeopardy because now they have to come and get me."
The team had a few pieces of advice for people thinking of heading out on the river this summer, a bullet point list of safety:
- The river erodes the dirt on the side banks, which could fail and drop you in, so be careful not to get too close to the rivers edge.
- If you want to check out the river, don't go along the side, go to a bridge or something.
- If you DO go in, do "nose and toes", meaning you keep your feet up and head up. Kick off the rocks with your hands and feet, but stay up.
- If you see a "strainer" or something going across the river like a log, flop over onto your belly, grab it, and USE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO GO OVER THE STRAINER.
- Wear a PFD.
"Know before you go, know your experience level, what you can handle, know your equipment, make sure you have the right equipment," Ciullo said.
"If you don't konw what you don't know," Parker added "visit one of our many outfitters in the state."
"This is why we were so excited to do this piece," Ciullo said. "We want to bring this (record number of deaths last year) number down. So, Matt and I are hoping by speaking to you guys and being aired and people seeing it that we will never hit a number that high ever again."
