Canoe-Over-Canoe Rescue

Spring 2007

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Andrew Westwood

Enjoyment of any outdoor adventure is enhanced by good preparation. Flat water canoeing is no exception. Practising your paddling skills, being well-equipped, and having a plan in the event of a capsized canoe are all necessary before a day on the water. Although canoe capsizes are fairly rare in flat water, the risk of cold water immersion or an extended swim to shore in a situation where help is unlikely, make rescue skills necessary. Canoe capsizes can occur unexpectedly. Even when conditions seem ideal, the unthinkable can happen—your boat flips over. More common are canoe swims associated with high wind or waves.

Capsizing your canoe may not be a common occurrence, but if you plan on paddling in anything but the most sheltered conditions and/or further from shore than you can easily swim, practising how to get back into an overturned boat becomes as essential as learning to paddle.

Flat water canoeing is often enjoyed in small groups with friends who, like yourself, also appreciate the outdoors as experienced from a watery vantage point. Of course paddling in groups offers a safety advantage because assistance, in the event of a boat overturning, is close at hand. The canoe-over-canoe rescue can be performed by fellow boaters paddling either canoe or kayak. With the assistance offered by a second boat, the capsized canoe can be turned upright and emptied, and the swimming paddlers can be helped back into their boat. With practice, this rescue technique takes only a few minutes.

Begin a canoe-over-canoe rescue by first confirming that the swimming paddlers are safe and accounted for. Next, position the rescue boat perpendicular to the overturned boat and have the swimmers grasp the ends of the rescue boat. Having the swimmers holding the bow and stern of your canoe adds stability while keeping them in a safe location throughout the rescue. Have the swimmers store their paddles in the rescue canoe for safekeeping.

Capsizing your canoe may not be a common occurrence, but if you plan on paddling in anything but the most sheltered conditions and/or further from shore than you can easily swim, practising how to get back into an overturned boat becomes as essential as learning to paddle.

The overturned canoe is grasped near its end, lifted, then pulled across your gunwales. Sometimes, tipping the overturned canoe slightly to one side while lifting it helps to break the suction created by the airlock that often occurs under a capsized canoe. Pull the canoe over your gunwales until it is balanced evenly end to end. Once emptied, the canoe can be flipped upright, slipped back into the water, and held parallel to your canoe. By firmly holding the gunwales of the two canoes together, the rescued canoe can be stabilized to allow the re-entry of the swimming paddlers. It is easiest if the paddlers attempt to climb in mid-ship where the gunwale is closer to the water and the canoe is more stable. As the swimmer attempts to climb into the canoe, allow the far gunwale to drop to water level to reduce the climbing height necessary to get back into the boat. As a swimmer, keep your body (and center of gravity) low as you wiggle back into your canoe. Continue holding the canoes together until the rescued paddlers have re-established a stable kneeling position in the canoe and have their paddles at the ready for their first strokes.

1. Having made sure the swimmer is safe at your bow, position your canoe perpendicular to the capsized boat.
2. Grab the bow and the closest gunwale and then lift the boat up and pull it across your canoe.
3. Once the boat is out of the water, roll the canoe upright, away from you.
4. Slide the canoe back into the water and hold it steady beside your canoe.
5. Approaching from mid-ship, the swimmer uses a strong kick and push up to climb into the canoe.
6. The swimmer stays as low as possible in the canoe until she is back in the sitting position.

Andrew Westwood is the author of Canoeing: The Essential Skills and Safety, Heliconia Press. This article is adapted from the book.
www.helipress.com