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Life and Death Beyond the Edge
posted January 9, 2013
by Adam Herzog
An article by Adam Herzog discusses risk taking, death, and other issues for Class V kayakers. First Published in Site Zed, a web site for thoughfrul essays about paddling sponsored by Immersion Research.
Link to Article about Liability & Rescue
posted April 2, 2012
by Charlie Walbridge
By Charlie Duffy, ACA Rescue Instructor
Dealing with Sudden Death
posted July 14, 2009
by Charlie Walbridge
Sudden death is a charged emotional event, often compounded by trauma among those who witness a drowning accident or try to rescue or resuscitate someone. Few people realize how little time you have for a successful drowning rescue. The sad facts are that unless a drowning person is pulled out within 6-10 minutes of going under, their chances are almost zero. Anger or displaced anger towards rescue and recovery efforts are not unusual. Excellent Resources for managing sudden death grief and trauma can be found on the Higgins & Langley website. These pamphlets, created by the Royal Hospital Foundation in Belfast, Northern Island, can be downloaded as needed
The GPS Project: Taking the “Search” out of “Search and Rescue”
posted September 1, 2006
by Eric Nies
Over the next decade, AW hopes to serve as the collecting point for GPS data on whitewater rivers
for the purpose of aiding rescue professionals. We hope to create a set of GPS data for river runs
listed on AW’s website, starting with the coordinates of the put-in, continuing with info on
the major rapids and landmarks, and finishing with the numbers for the take-out.
American Whitewater's National Accident Study
posted February 6, 2006
by Jennifer Plyler
Jennifer Plyler's National Accident Study was an effort to take a close look at fatal accidents in
the paddlesport community using both U.S. Coast Guard and American Whitewater data. It is the most
detailed look at accidents involving canoes, kayaks, and inflatables throughout the country.
Whitewater is Safer Than You Think
posted February 5, 2006
by Laura Whitman
Laura Whitman's article compares the accident rate among kayakers with other common sports and
activities.
Table: Whitewater Fatalities 1975-2005
posted February 5, 2006
by Charles Walbridge
This has tables showing the number of fatal accidents by year and by state over the past 30 years.
American Whitewater Safety Archive - 1955-2000
posted September 27, 2005
by Dave Steindorf
Paying for Rescue (SAR) Costs
posted October 8, 2003
by Jason Robertson
Boaters want to be responsible, largely self-reliant visitors to America's public
lands. Our community does not desire to create a
financial burden on the system as a whole. The issue of how government agencies pay for and execute
search and rescue services is a thorny one that cannot be addressed with simplistic responses. In
the attached analysis, American Whitewater describes why we believe there are significant
legal and discrimination issues preventing the charging of boaters for rescue services, or
requirement of medical and/or rescue insurance before being granted a boating permit.
Behold a Pale Horse, An Analysis: Safety concerns can result in lost access
posted July 9, 2002
by Jason Robertson
Well-intentioned, albeit misplaced, management decisions to restrict access are often made in order
to protect you. These decisions affect the FERC relicensing process, recreational whitewater
releases from dams, result in a proliferation of permits, and have led to a loss of access on many
rivers. This article relates examples through which access has been limited by river managers'
fears for your safety.
Flatwater Study Finds Alcohol Boosts Drowning Risk
posted December 19, 2001
by Jason Robertson
CHAPEL HILL - Recreational boat passengers are just as likely as operators to die as a result of
drinking alcohol, according to a new study of boating deaths in North Carolina and Maryland. One
reason the study revealed was that passengers who have been drinking often topple overboard and
drown.
Risk Management in Six Steps
posted January 22, 2001
by Jason Robertson
The success of any risk management plan results from the understanding, simplification, and
implementation of a program that actually gets used by everyone in the organization. The essential
basics are fairly simple. Here is what American Whitewater has found based on examination of dozens
of lawsuits against outfitters and the results of conducting hundreds of risk management
consultations.
Liability and Recreational Use Statutes
posted December 11, 2000
by Jason Robertson
American Whitewater has consolidated the recreational use statutes from all 50 states. Now, for the
first time, you can find out what your rights as a landower or recreationist are - no matter where
you live in the United States. This page has links that describe how to protect access, and
yourself as a landowner or recreationist. It even includes links to the actual laws!
safetylinks