Survive This: A Plunge into Raging Whitewater

I'm a river guide and have taken Swift Water Rescue training and have been a lifeguard for over 22 years. The biggest thing to keep in mind is DO NOT TRY TO STAND UP!!!!! in moving water above mid calf (we usually say ankle deep though). In every river there is a hole just the right size to fit your foot and keep it there. If you get your foot trapped you will most likely end up dying due to hypothermia, exhaustion and/or drowning. Get to the shallow water and crawl out if you must but do not stand up until the water is either shallow enough or calm enough to do so.

Leaving a fire burning is usually not a good idea. It might be OK in the winter if everything around is snow covered. If that is the case, you probably should not be deliberately getting wet.

@Jason - Fighting the current to get to shore will surely tire you out well before you reach it You should conserve energy by floating with the current, as the article states.

@MovingWater - Great idea if you plan on coming back. But what if you don't? Then you've left a smoldering fire... That's not LNT.

I THINK IF YOU ARE FOTUNATE TO ONLY HAVE TO CROSS KNEE DEEP WATER THEN IT CAN ADD TO YOUR CHANCES OF MAKING IT. THE REALITY IS IF YOU FALL IN THE WATER YOU SHOULD SWIM YOUR BUTT OFF TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.YOU HAVE TO INSTANTLY START ATTACKING THE WATER AND DO SOME JUMPING JACKS WHEN YOU GET TO SHORE.

Knee-deep? I suspect that even that might be alittle ambitious. If rushing water is at your knee, it will more than likelly be not only alrready too forecful but also too cold. Knee dep water willl take even experience hikers down and give them hypothermia.

If you must really cross, start a small fire, on the river bank, let it burn down to coals. Make sure you have a warm top in a waterproof pary of your pack that willl stay dry, and then cross, that way, when you go in the drink and come back, you will be able to warm yourself with the fire, take off the wet clothes and put on the dry, and might survive.Even in warmm ambient your body wet will lose core temp quickly.