Swift Water Safety

Larimer County Dive Rescue Team

Spring and Summer bring high water to the Rivers of Larimer County and some excellent recreational activities including rafting, canoeing and kayaking. Each year many residents and visitors to Larimer County enjoy the excitement of white water activities. With these activities come risks that can be minimized by planning and preparation. The Emergency Services Unite of Larimer County Sheriff's Office and the Larimer County Dive Rescue Team would like to provide you with a few tips that we hope will enhance your trip and provide you with some information about our service should you need them.

 

Trip Planning

  1. Make sure someone knows where you will be boating and when you will be returning home
  2. Check the river conditions to ensure they match your skill level and equipment. Water conditions change daily with peak rise early in the morning. Local outfitters can be a great source of information.
  3. Time your trip so there is plenty of daylight for your last run.
  4. Have a time set for someone to call if you have not returned. That person should be able to provide us with your vehicle description, where you where boating and a good description of the kayak, raft or canoe you are using.
  5. Remember once the Poudre and the Big Thompson rivers enter the populated rural and urban areas there are hazards such as diversion dams, fences, and debris that make safely navigating them impossible.
  6. Use established put in and take out areas. Most are on USFS land and are signed. If you use private property you could be cited for trespassing.

Safety

  1. Always boat with a partner. If that isn't possible, stay with other boaters as you work downstream. If you get into trouble and there is no one there to help or report it our first indication of a problem may be when you don't arrive home or someone finds your boat.
  2. Scout your route, particularly if you have not done that section before. Remember, the same section of the river can be different from day to day and even vary over the course of the day. As the water levels change hazards such as trees, debris, old bridge structures or road tailings may not be visible and a serious hazard to navigation.
  3. Match the conditions to your skill level and equipment. If it has been a while since you were on the river, take the time to find easier sections to practice before running the more challenging sections.
  4. Make note of any public phones along the route in the event of an emergency and you need to use a phone. Many places along the river do not provide Cellular phone service.
  5. All rafts should be multi-chambered; kayaks and canoes should have floatation.
  6. Personal Floatation Devices -PFD's (life vests) are a must.
  7. If there is a potential for being in the water you should also wear some type of protective clothing to guard against hypothermia. Water temperatures average in the 40's. Being immersed in cold water has a cumulative effect. If you end up in the water take the time to get warmed up before continuing on. Hypothermia can impair your skills and repeated exposures can be rapidly debilitating.
  8. If you get separated from your boat in fast water, try to position yourself on your back looking down stream. Keep your legs up near the surface and watch for areas where the water slows. Backstroke with your arms to work your way to shore. It's very important to look down stream to watch for hazards and areas of calm water that you can use to exit. Keeping your legs on the surface will reduce the chance of injury and the chance you might get caught in any debris or jammed between rocks. Resist the urge to walk on the bottom until you get to calmer water.
  9. Your PFD's, raft, kayak or canoe should have your name, address and phone number permanently marked on them. This will help get them back to you if you lose them on the river and give us somewhere to call to confirm there isn't a problem. In the event you wrap your boat or raft, call in the exact location to our Communications Center at 498-5141 with a good description of the kayak, canoe or raft. This will reduce the possibility of a false call when someone sees it.

In an Emergency Dial 911

If you have a problem dial 911 as quickly as possible. There are Medical Services available in most of the river canyon areas through the local Volunteer Fire Departments. These Departments provide basic life support (BLS) care. The closest advanced life support (ALS) medical services and specialized water rescue resources respond from Ft. Collins, Loveland and Estes Park. Depending on the location of an accident it can be some time before advanced medical or the dive rescue team reaches you. Prompt notification is critical.

The most critical information for our responders is an exact location, the nature of the problem, injuries, number of people involved and when the event happened.

If you witnessed an accident your ability to show Emergency Services personnel the exact location of the event is very important. Time is critical! Victims submerged for up to 1 hour in very cold water have been successfully revived with no significant side effects. Even something as simple as being stranded on the wrong side of the river can escalate to a true emergency when darkness and hypothermia set in. When in doubt dial 911! Emergency Services and the Larimer County Dive team are available 7 days a week 24 hours a day. Any water related event is treated as a true emergency with The Larimer County Dive Rescue Team and Emergency Services responding immediately anytime of the night or day.

Enjoy the Water!

We in Emergency Services hope you enjoy the many opportunities for swift water boating in Larimer County. If you have any questions about Emergency Services or the Larimer County Dive Rescue Team please feel free to call our information line at 498-5312.

You can also learn more about the Larimer County Sheriff's Office Emergency Services Unit and the Larimer County Dive Rescue Team on the Larimer County Web Page at:

http://www.co.larimer.co.us

or

http://www.lcdrt.org

 

For flow rates on the Cache La Poudre and Big Thompson Rivers contact the Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources: 303-831-7135 (go to Division 1, #19 and #13). Or via the Web http://www.eddyflower.com/NestableFlows.aspx?StateId=1 or for the Upper Poudre Canyon you can check out http://www.poudrerockreport.com

You can also check out "Water Talk" and the complete list of station codes on their website at:

http://www.dnr.state.co.us/water/codes.htm