SWIFTWATER RESCUE

Swiftwater Rescue

The bellyak is a useful tool for Swiftwater and Flood Rescue, providing a quickly deployed mode of transport for rescuers to assist victims. Below are descriptions of how the Bellyak can be used as a tool for Swiftwater and flood rescue.

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Benefits of the Bellyak:

Swim, Paddle, Wade transitions are seamless…no sprayskirt and self bailing design creates easy (and fast) option, that is also easy ditch if necessary.
Speed and near zero drag in the water – glides
Fast, Simple, Relatively Safe
Rapid deployment from shore
Easy learning curve for novice users
Transport for a victim under the rescuer

Limitations:

Class 2 and 3 for stability
May require rescuer to tend the Bellyak from the water in heavy current (tension diagonal?)
Approximately 500 pound weight limit for combined Rescuer and Victim for tethered rescues.
Bellak needs a sling design for the bow and stern connections (poly line 3⁄8 or 1” tubular web 8’)

Techniques

Wade Assist: especially useful in Flood SAR.
Equipment transport (like a water wagon)
“Tag-Line” for hole and low head dam rescues
Tethered floating reach device
Support for foot entrapment
Kayak rescue and dumping/paddler assist back into boat in current

V-Lower

Lines must be evenly tensioned during lower
Easy to go upstream with just the belayer
2 belayers and rescuer
Anchor to the bow upstream – rescuer can face either direction up or downstream
The V-lower can be created from one side of the river using a LCD Line capture device

Direct Line Lower