In this instance, when we talk about rescuing people in a canyon, we are talking about ‘wet canyons’. The type of canyon that involves waterfalls and water continually flowing through the canyon (sometimes it can be a lot of water that is flowing), unlike ‘dry canyons’ where the water is minimal.

When people go canyoning, or canyoneering, they can get into trouble and require a rescue team. Canyon rescue is a combination of rope rescue, search and rescue, and water rescue, which means that multiple skills and extra equipment is required.

As with any other rescue, when you are responding you try to gather as much information as you can to better prepare for that specific rescue. Conducting a briefing prior to going into to the canyon allows you to discuss with the command post such issues as how long you think it will take to access the patient, what equipment you are carrying, navigation, communication, what is the initial plan in regards to the rescue itself, what are some of your contingency plans should something not go as planned, and who has what items of equipment. A checklist that was originally put together by the team can help prepare when responding.

Things can go wrong. 99 times out 100 things won’t go wrong, but there’s that 1 time when things will go wrong. Always take plenty of water; even though you are surrounded by water in the canyon it is easy not to think about drinking any water to keep hydrated. It is also a good idea to take snacks to keep your energy up, but should something go wrong it’s a good idea to have an extra meal should you be stuck in the canyon overnight.  Have access to two forms of light source, two forms of fire lighting, and a knife. Share equipment to be carried between team mates and have about 10 – 20% free space in your pack for team equipment.

Prior to entering the canyon make sure you know exactly what is in your pack, how to use everything in the pack and know the working condition of each item. Take a quick minute to check everything before going in. “It’s better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it”.

You need to be able to look after yourself before you can look after the patient. You also need to be able to safely get to the patient before you can help them. The water in the canyon can be cold even if it is a really hot day, and this could cause hypothermic type problems. Wetsuits or drysuits should be worn by the team to prevent these problems. Wetsuits help to provide protection for the body and some say that they work ‘kind-of’ like compression pants to help with muscle fatigue when trudging through the canyon. If you believe you can access a location in the canyon without getting wet then you should still take a wetsuit (even if you carry it in your pack) as situations can change and you might need to enter the water in order to complete the rescue.

Members of the rescue team should already have canyoning experience before getting involved in such a rescue, so they should already know that they need a helmet, they know what footwear works for them in a canyon, what basic rappelling equipment they require, and they already have essential canyoning skills.

Canyoning skills should be practiced so that these skills are maintained should your team be called to conduct a rescue, and know how to use all the necessary equipment that you would be carrying into the canyon. Due to the extra equipment that would need to be carried for a canyon rescue, the backpack that you carry would be heavier, and it might even mean carrying a bigger size pack. As a precaution, one idea is to have some cordage attached from the pack to your harness (or to your rappel setup) so that while you are rappelling in the canyon if your pack starts to pull you backwards you can take it off your back and it can hang below you on the piece of cordage which will allow you to be more upright when rappelling.

A rescue team will always carry a medical kit for the patient, but also carry some first aid equipment for you and your team. Injuries can occur by just walking through the canyon. Wadding through shallow water can involve stumbling over rocks that cannot be seen under the water and this can result in ankle injuries; taking some tape for strapping is a good idea. Some people like to strap their ankles prior to going in as a preventative measure. Injuries can also occur from slipping over wet rocks, jumping into shallow water and from falls. Other incidents that you could prepare for is leeches, mosquitoes, stinging nettles, sunburn,  and hypothermia (carry a space blanket).

Carrying a stove or thermos is useful for making a hot drink. A hot drink can help with preventing hypothermia not only for the patient but for others. Giving a hot drink to the patient, to the people that are with the patient, or even to your team can not only warm people up but can also make them feel better, boost morale, and even distract them from the reason a rescue team has been called.

Always have a communications plan. Because of the remote location of most canyons, and because some canyons involve steep sides some radios might not work unless you have a line of sight. A back-up plan is essential. A satellite phone is a good idea, however even satellite phones can have reception problems while in canyons. Flares should also be carried for signalling, carry both red flame for night time and orange smoke for daytime. When under thick canopy orange smoke flares might not get through the tree canopy so red flame flares can be used during the daytime to help with this. Other signalling equipment should also be carried including beacons, whistles, strobes, mirrors, and chemlights.

Just like communications, navigation is also necessary for rescue operations. A GPS is great for this, and most rescue teams carry a map and compass should something go wrong with the GPS. This is important when in the canyon, because as with satellite phones, in some canyons a GPS might not be able to get satellite reception.

Everything can get wet in a canyon, so when carrying specialised equipment for a rescue, such as communication devices, this can be a problem. Drybags work great for this, but sometimes when you open a drybag to get something out other items can get wet, so one idea is to put items in separate waterproof bags, or plastic ziplock bags, and then place them inside the bigger drybag. Be aware that drybags can wear out and can get holes in them, so make sure they are in working order before using them for a rescue operation.

Carrying a small tote towel or similar can be used for drying your hands. This is so you can handle items that need to stay dry, such as writing notes without drops of water getting on the paper, or for handling some pieces of medical equipment.

When a team is called to perform a rescue in a canyon, that team needs to be able to conduct a rescue while in water, and while dealing with heights. They will also be operating in remote areas where both communications and navigation can be a problem. A team requires a number of specialised skills just to access the patient even before they perform the rescue, and the team needs to be able to stay safe at the same time. Equipment and training for a rescue like this involves many factors as mentioned, but preparing for a canyon rescue can result in an efficient response by the rescue team when called.