You lost an essential piece of gear in a bad spot
You’re deep in a canyon running a new section of river and you just flipped and you lost all your paddles… Great now what? No paddles means no way to continue down river right? This is a situation I have been in several times and it is basically as close to a trip ending scenario as you can get second to a major injury or losing the boat. Losing an essential piece of equipment in the outdoors is typically associated with some sort of catastrophic failure during the trip. There are a lot of reasons for this including flips, wraps, injuries, improper rigging, weather, etc. So, what do we do when we lose a piece of gear that is so important it stops the trip in its tracks?
What to do after you lose the equipment
Stop and Assess the Situation:
First and foremost, try to remain calm. Panic can cloud your judgment.
Take a moment to assess your surroundings, the time of day, and the weather conditions.
Check Your Remaining Equipment:
Inventory your remaining gear to see what resources you still have available.
Are there others in your group with additional equipment?
Are there other groups behind you that may have additional equipment that could assist you?
Determine Your Location:
If you have a map, GPS, or smartphone with GPS functionality, try to determine your current location. If you have to hike out this information will be critical to determining how far you have to go.
If possible, use landmarks or natural features to help identify your position.
In a river-based scenario it is likely that your lost equipment is in the river either upstream at the accident site or it was seen moving downstream. In this case if it is safe to do so you can send people a short distance down or upstream to search for the equipment.
Plan Your Next Move:
If you have to hike out, plan a route back to safety. Know your emergency egress routes before you enter the canyon.
Consider factors like terrain, distance, and potential obstacles.
If you don't have a map or GPS, you may be able to make your way up or down river to find an exit point from the canyon that will work for you.
If you decide to send a search party for your equipment, make sure they are only covering a short distance and returning to report back.
If you have to consolidate down into 1 boat and you deem the rest of the river to be a low risk of accidents it may be prudent to continue downstream and leave a boat to retrieve later. If there are significant hazards or rapids at or above your skill level downstream then don’t risk a 1 boat trip further downstream.
Communicate Your Situation:
If you're in a remote area and have no way hiking out or moving up or downstream you need to signal for help.
If you can communicate that something has happened to an emergency contact it is good to let them know that you have lost a piece of gear but you are ok for now. This will at least get a possible emergency response ready.
If there is no communication possible and part of your group has to stay put it may be helpful to have part of the group continue on and summon help if it is safe. Make sure you have an exact location and an exact plan before you split the party.
You may have to prepare for a hike out of the canyon to get a signal out to your emergency contact or emergency services.
Consider Your Survival Priorities:
In a really bad situation, prioritize your basic survival needs: shelter, water, food, and warmth. Conserve your food and water supplies. Consume them in small, measured amounts. If you need to use natural water sources, ensure it's safe to drink before consuming.
Make use of natural resources for these necessities whenever possible.
If it's getting late, prepare for the night by building a shelter, starting a fire if possible, and staying warm.
Be Visible and Await Rescue:
If you or your group has an injury and are unable to move signal for help and prepare to stay in place.
Make yourself as visible as possible and find shelter to protect yourself from the elements.
Continue signaling for help during daylight hours.
Keep a positive mindset and stay alert for any signs of rescue personnel or other people.
Planning for Redundancy
Every rescue situation is unique and losing an essential piece of gear like paddles or the raft can seriously derail the trip. Finding and recovering lost gear is often relatively straight forward since we know here it likely went. There are a lot of skills that boaters should train on to prepare for less serious scenarios. In serious emergencies, always prioritize safety and survival over recovering lost equipment, sometimes its just not worth the risk. Some good pre and post trip practices that will help you prepare for these types of scenarios are:
Discuss Emergency Egress - Meet with your team prior to getting on the water so that you can discuss the particulars of emergency egress on the trip. What are the river access points along the way including nearest road access and where you can stop to get out during the trip. If you have to hike out also discuss your bailout plan for that.
Emergency Contact - Leave a trip plan and alternate contact information with someone who will be around civilization. This info should include your departure time, expected put in time, expected takeout time, expected time on the river, location for put in and take out, river and section, as well as triggers on when to call emergency services.
Bring Redundant Communication Devices - Cell phones don’t cover everywhere and sometimes satellite communication devices don’t always work, but having both can help add some redundancy to your emergency communication plan.
Bring Redundant Equipment - Spare paddles, a spare PFD, and a spare helmet as well as a modern repair kit are all useful, however it is also helpful to pack some extra food and a water filter just in case you lose some gear and are stuck out for longer than you plan to be out there. Add some redundancy into your equipment and make sure you rig it properly so that you don’t end up losing the backup gear as well.
Debrief Post Trip - After you're safely off the water, honestly discuss what went wrong and how you can better prepare for future trips. It’s helpful to keep a notebook in your first aid kit not only for injuries and communication, but also taking some notes form the trip on how to better execute on future trips.
