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If someone needs immediate help with river current, use emergency mode.
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DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — You are in a river and being swept downstream by fast-moving water.
The essentials if you need to act right now.
Float on back. Feet downstream. Steer to bank. Never stand up.
What might I see? Observable signs — no diagnosis required.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — You cannot wade to shore — water is above your knees and pushing hard.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — You are being swept downstream and cannot stop.
Optional deeper explanation — not required to act.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Fast river water can knock you off your feet and trap your foot between rocks. The current is stronger than it looks from shore.
Check the scene before you approach.
Civilian-safe actions you can take.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If swept off your feet — immediately turn onto your back and float.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Keep your feet up and pointed downstream to push off rocks.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Use backstroke or sidestroke to angle toward the nearest bank.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Look for eddies (calmer water behind rocks) where you can rest.
When and how to get professional help.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do not enter fast river water to rescue someone unless trained. Throw flotation from shore.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Shout to people on shore. If you have a phone, call 112 with your location downstream.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — After any river rescue, seek medical care — hypothermia and internal injuries are common.
Dangerous actions, when not to attempt rescue, and common myths.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT stand up in moving water above your ankles — foot entrapment causes drowning.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT try to grab someone else while in the current — you will both go under.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT swim toward a low-head dam or weir — these create deadly recirculation.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — You should stand up quickly if you fall in a river
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Standing in fast water risks foot entrapment — your foot gets wedged and the current pushes you under.
Other scenarios in the same family.
Child drowning
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A child was found in water, is struggling in water, or was just pulled out and is not responding normally.
Bucket drowning
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A young child has fallen head-first into a bucket, tub, or container of water and may be submerged.
Bathtub emergency
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A child is submerged, unconscious, or having a seizure in the bathtub.
Pool emergency
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Someone is in trouble at a swimming pool — submerged, not moving, or injured at the pool edge.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — When near shore, swim hard to land. Do NOT stand until water is below your knees and calm.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Never put your foot down in fast water — it can get trapped between rocks.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Foot entrapment is a leading cause of river drowning.