YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING
Posted: June 29, 2010 Filed under: Criminal Liability, Whitewater Rafting 5 CommentsA raft guide was arrested the other day because he rescued a stranded girl.
A 13 year old girl was rafting with Arkansas Valley Adventures. She ended up stranded on a rock in the river. A raft guide from Arkansas Valley Adventures against the sheriff’s orders jumped into the river and rescued the girl.
The sheriff arrested the raft guide for obstructing government operations.
Let’s look at this without going nuts…….
Who has the most experience in whitewater?
1. The raft guide
2. Any raft guide
3. Alpine Search and Rescue
4. Clear Creek County Sheriff’s department
I’m pretty confident the correct answer is 1; however credit will be given for answer 2. I’ve done legal work for alpine Search and Rescue and know a lot of them. A great group of dedicated rescuers who do not have any whitewater experience.
Who is going to affect the rescue quickly and safely?
1. The raft guide
2. Any raft guide
3. Alpine Search and Rescue
4. Clear Creek County Sheriff’s department
Let’s see, this is a tough one. The raft guide who is right there, the sheriff who is trying to figure out what to do or Alpine SAR who are volunteers that have to be organized. Raft Guide wins again.
Are there a lot of questions that need to be answered here other than how low is the IQ of the Clear Creek County Sheriff? Or maybe it is an ego issue.
Clear Creek County just spent thousands of dollars on a kayak park. Who is going to go there if you risk being arrested if you attempt to help a friend? Hold on, I’ll get your paddle for you and a $150 ticket from the ego with the badge.
Support Arkansas Valley Adventures because they are standing behind their guide.
Notify the sheriff and let him know what you think: webadmin@clearcreeksheriff.us or call (303) 679-2376
Notify the Clear Creek County District Attorney and let them know what you think: 303-569-2567.
Let Clear Creek County know how you feel by posting on their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgetown-CO/Clear-Creek-County-Colorado/130701711250.
See Raft guide arrested after helping stranded rafter on Clear Creek
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Recreation Law 
See Charges Dropped Against Raft Guides; Rescue Dispute Resolved
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Jumped in is my language, however, whitewater is different. As a former WSI and lifeguard in the east, the water of the west is a different breed. There is very few if any chances to Reach, Throw, Row and a lot of times Go is your only option. The guide did the right thing based on my 30 years of whitewater guiding, swift water rescue training and knowledge of that river.
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As an instructor to lifeguards who run boating activities for children, I do have an issue with the “jumped in” to rescue the girl.
A trained rescuer would, I would hope, never jump in the water to effect a rescue. I am not familiar with the conditions of that river and at the time the girl was stranded, but in almost any circumstance, a swimming rescue would be the last resort. This is because you're likely to end up with 2 (or more) victims, rather than anyone rescued.
I'm glad in this case that the girl and the guide ended up safe. However, I would suggest that the guides might get the training so that if a rescue is required, they would refrain from following their first instinct to jump in to save a customer.
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From what I can tell of follow up reports, the Swift Water Rescue team wasted a considerable amount of time once the rafter was spotted. They appear to have been in “body-recovery” mode and were not prepared to handle a live victim who needed immediate contact and assessment. Had the rescue team acted promptly by getting a team across the river (you do have riverboards, right?!), the guide would not have had to jump in and do his DUTY. Shouting across a raging river to a scared child that has just had a harrowing swim is inadequate response by any definition. The sheriff let his ego get bruised a proper response to ineptitude.
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It should be noted that Alpine Rescue Team DOES NOT perform river rescue. It limits its work to shore support for river searches.
The #4 in the list should actually be the Idaho Springs FD
Swiftwater Rescue Team, which does extensive river rescue, not the Clear Creek County Sheriff.
Alpine was not involved in this incident; it was never dispatched to it (rightfully so).
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