By Jessica L. Sawyer
Hartford Courant (Connecticut)
Copyright 2007 The Hartford Courant Company
All Rights Reserved

CANTON, Conn. — Two children got lucky July 21 as they ran along the Farmington River seeking help for their dad, who'd hurt his back tubing on the river upstream.

The frantic siblings found a group of 13 Canton fire and EMS volunteers who were taking lessons in water rescue. The class split up to search for the father. They found him an hour later in a bordering forest, near where he'd gotten out of the water on his own. The students got him to a hospital, where he was treated and released.

It was one of two actual rescues the class made during training last month for certification as Level One swift water rescue specialists.

The second occurred July 22, when a Waterbury woman tubing on the river's Satan's Kingdom section passed out and floated past where she was supposed to exit the water.

Both times, trainees switched from practicing hypothetical water hazard scenarios to "emergency response mode," Mike Krupa, Canton deputy fire chief and class member, said. The woman was rescued and revived.

"It's very difficult for first responders not to just jump into action; it's what we do," said Sara Clarke, an EMS volunteer who was in the class. "Through this type of professional training, we can achieve the goal of rescuing without becoming victims ourselves. You may only get one chance to do it right."

The water rescue training covered how to approach water rescue scenarios of different danger levels in changing river dynamics and how to do so with minimum risk to the emergency response rescuers.

"Your first natural reaction is to jump in there in help, but there are consequences," Clarke said Thursday.

So far, the new water rescue specialists have responded to four water rescue calls in the past two weeks. The chief said the training gives the responders valuable skills to save people in trouble and protect themselves while doing it.

"As always, we've only got minutes to deploy the essential rescue gear, equipment and other resources," said Rich Hutchings, chief of Canton Volunteer Fire & EMS Department. "However, with emergencies involving water, we must deal with the extra dimension of drown proofing our volunteer rescuers. You better know what you're doing."

On July 22, Clarke and Canton fire engineer Matt Bilts repelled down a low-angle slope to the Farmington River to help a large man — who was struggling in the water without a life vest — to shore. The man — scared and intoxicated — resisted as Clarke and Bilts ascended the hill while carrying him in a long, wire stokes basket, but reached level ground uninjured.

As the technical rescue team packed up, a man was reported missing from a 60-person group along the river. But the man was found in the woods while the team was forming a plan to search for him.

The class was the most physically demanding training the department has or sponsors, said Krupa, who set up the class and organizes the technical rescue team. The water rescue trainees ignored the cold water and bruises from rocks that hit them during the classes and rescues.

In water-related emergency situations, it can be hard to find victims because it's difficult to distinguish sections of a river, such as the Farmington. The water rescue class taught trainees to prepare in advance for worse-case scenarios.

"I like to be proactive," Clarke said. "In my realm, if things can go wrong, they will go wrong. I just want to get home to my kids."