Whitewater rescue podcast: Stories of whitewater river rescue, accident reports and analysis, and river safety education. We can learn a lot from our mistakes, so let's help each other navigate the rivers safely. If you have a story you'd like to share (great rescues, near-misses, epic beatdowns, or other mis-adventures), send a brief description to thesafetybreak@gmail.com. We focus on non-fatal incidents only, out of respect for victims' friends and families.Â
A solo paddler encounters a hidden strainer in the spring runoff of the Beartooth Mountains of Montana.
Charlie Walbridge describes his career of river safety education, his work with the AW Accident Database, and recent conservation efforts involving Big Sandy Creek.
A missed roll leads to an upside down run over a waterfall, directly onto a rock. We'll discuss management of multi-system trauma in the wilderness, plus a bonus story from Jeff Snyder describing one his best screw-ups on Big Sandy Creek, from his early days of cutting edge paddling.
A successful live-bait rescue and resuscitation on the Green River Narrows.
Returning to the rivers of Western NC after Hurricane Helene.
A close call in an undercut rock on the Russell Fork Gorge, plus some history of the race and the annual river rendezvous.
A cold water immersion and entrapment on California's Royal Gorge.
Exploring the issue of paddleboard leash entanglement. Cover photo by Paul Clark.
A conversation with one of the legendary Green Race safety crew. Cover photo by Todd McGinnis.
A look at the complicated logistics of Green Race safety.
Tackling the mental and physical challenges of Green Race preparation.
A hard crash and entrapment during a race practice lap.
An interview about shoulder health and rehabilitation after injury.
A paddler confronts a shoulder injury deep in the Canadian wilderness. All about shoulder dislocations and how to fix them.
A whitewater athlete finds his way back to the river after a life-changing accident.
A paddler is trapped behind the curtain of a large waterfall, with no clear way to escape. After more than an hour, his friends reach him using a live bait rescue technique.
A close look at the resuscitation of a drowning victim on the Jalacingo, and essential CPR education.
A paddler has a brush with death after a prolonged submersion. Once his friends retrieve him from the water, there's some serious work to be done to bring him back. Part 1 of 2, examining drowning resuscitation.
A paddler clings for his life to a watery perch while his group desperately tries to reach him in the Ecuadorian jungle.
Welcome to The Safety Break, the whitewater rescue podcast. Full episodes coming soon...
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