Aquatic Rescue Course

Lesson 1 • Water Rescue Principles Overview

Explains the Reach‑Throw‑Row‑Go hierarchy, why each step is prioritised, and how it guides every rescue decision. Reinforces a safety‑first framework that underpins all water‑rescue actions for consistent, effective response.

Lesson 2 • Legal and Ethical Rescue Obligations

Examines duty of care, consent, and documentation requirements. Prepares rescuers to act decisively within ethical and professional boundaries.

Lesson 3 • Aquatic Environment Hazard Recognition

Identifies hazards in pools, rivers, surf zones and flood areas, highlighting currents, hidden obstacles, weather impacts and visibility issues to build situational awareness and enable safe approach.

Lesson 4 • Rescue Decision-Making Under Stress

Applies cognitive load theory to high-pressure aquatic scenarios. Trains rapid, accurate decision-making when time and information are limited.

Lesson 1 • Victim Towing Methods

Covers armpit, chin, and cross‑chest towing for conscious and unconscious victims, detailing selection by condition, depth, and flow, and providing step‑by‑step guidance for secure towing in moving water.

Lesson 2 • Underwater Search Swimming

Trains rescuers in breath‑hold diving and systematic grid‑search patterns to locate submerged victims. Integrates surface coordination, proper ascent, safety stops, and communication to maximise underwater search efficiency.

Lesson 3 • Swimming in Moving Water

Explores optimal river‑swim posture, eddy use, and the ferry‑angle technique for swift currents. Provides drills that develop balance, energy conservation, and hydraulic avoidance, giving rescuer confidence in moving water.

Lesson 4 • Defensive Swimming Techniques

Prepares rescuers to navigate aggressive or panicking victims and strong currents using feet‑first entry, submerge‑and‑escape drills, and defensive manoeuvres. Reduces rescuer injury risk and improves control in challenging water.

Lesson 1 • Personal Flotation Devices

Examines PFD types, fit standards, and donning under field conditions. Ensures rescuers and victims are correctly equipped before water entry.

Lesson 2 • Throw Bags and Rescue Lines

Covers throw bag mechanics—grip, stance, accurate deployment drills—and rapid repacking. Emphasises speed and precision so rescuers can quickly deliver a line to a distressed swimmer, enhancing reach and victim safety.

Lesson 3 • Rescue Tubes and Buoys

Teaches proper carry positions for rescue tubes, extending the tube to an active victim, and buoy protocols for multiple victims. Links handling to lifeguard and open‑water scenarios for effective support and rapid deployment.

Lesson 4 • Specialised Rescue Tools

Covers knives, carabiners, webbing, and rope systems for entrapment rescue. Prepares rescuers for complex scenarios requiring rigging or cutting.

Lesson 1 • Wading Rescue Procedures

Covers safe wading depth limits, proper foot placement on unstable bottoms, and coordinated partner techniques. Guidelines reduce rescuer exposure while allowing effective reach into shallow water without full entry.

Lesson 2 • Reach Rescue Methods

Trains use of poles, towels, clothing, and body extension for shore rescues. Prioritises rescuer stability and victim extraction without swimming.

Lesson 3 • Throw Rescue Techniques

Develops proficiency in throwing rings, ropes, and bags, emphasising accuracy, distance, and wind. Links precise throws to real‑time victim coaching for self‑rescue and faster line acquisition.

Lesson 1 • Managing the Panicking Victim

Covers submerge-and-escape, block, and release techniques for aggressive victims. Maintains rescuer control when victim behaviour becomes dangerous.

Lesson 2 • Unconscious Victim Rescue

Addresses in‑water airway management, ventilation, and secure towing positions for unconscious victims. Guides maintaining a patent airway and delivering breaths before moving the victim shoreward.

Lesson 3 • Multiple Victim Prioritisation

Trains rescuers in triage decision‑making for multiple simultaneous aquatic emergencies. Discusses prioritisation criteria, passive versus active victim handling, and how to coordinate bystander assistance for sequential rescues.

Lesson 4 • Spinal Injury Management in Water

Applies in-water spinal stabilisation and log-roll extraction techniques. Prevents secondary injury during rescue of suspected spinal victims.

Lesson 1 • Flood Rescue Operations

Addresses vehicle, rooftop, and tree rescues in flood environments. Integrates watercraft and aerial coordination for complex flood scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Rope-Based Swift Water Rescue

Covers deployment of tag lines, Tyrolean traverses, and live‑bait techniques for shore rescues in fast water. Provides step‑by‑step rope‑team procedures and communication signals for safe, effective rescues.

Lesson 3 • Swift Water Rescue Team Roles

Defines upstream spotter, downstream safety, and rescue swimmer roles. Ensures coordinated team function during dynamic river rescue operations.

Lesson 4 • River Hydrology for Rescuers

Explains river hydraulics—strainers, hydraulic pillows, recirculating holes—to help rescuers read water features and predict victim movement. Emphasises safe navigation in varied flow conditions and flood stages.

Lesson 1 • Trauma Care in Aquatic Settings

Addresses bleeding control, fracture management, and spinal care post-rescue. Bridges rescue extraction with pre-hospital trauma stabilisation.

Lesson 2 • Drowning Pathophysiology

Explains the physiological sequence of drowning and near-drowning events. Grounds medical interventions in accurate understanding of victim condition.

Lesson 3 • Oxygen Therapy and Airway Management

Trains supplemental oxygen delivery and airway adjunct use for drowning victims. Maximises oxygenation during the critical post-rescue window.

Lesson 4 • CPR and AED for Aquatic Victims

Adapts CPR for wet environments and exhausted rescuers, emphasizing ventilation‑first for drowning victims. Covers two‑rescuer rotations, AED use on wet patients, and compressions on unstable surfaces.

Lesson 1 • Rescue Team Communication

Establishes radio protocols, hand signals, and whistle codes for water rescue. Maintains team coordination when verbal communication is impossible.

Lesson 2 • Incident Command System Basics

Applies Incident Command System principles to water‑rescue incidents of varying scale. Defines clear command hierarchy, communication protocols, and resource‑tracking methods to ensure coordinated and efficient response.

Lesson 3 • Incident Documentation and Handoff

Covers patient care reports, chain of custody, and agency handoff procedures. Ensures continuity of care and accurate incident record-keeping.

Lesson 4 • Search Planning and Execution

Explores probability‑of‑area calculations, last‑seen‑point establishment, and search pattern selection such as expanding circles and sector searches. Enhances victim detection likelihood through systematic planning and execution.