As a voluntary search & rescue team and a non-government organisation (NGO) Watersafe UK Search & Rescue Team (WUKSART) has to raise every penny by whatever means they can to continue to provide their valuable services. One of the roles that WUKSART play is that of providing safety & rescue cover for certain water related events throughout the year.
The first event of 2014 where WUKSART provided this cover was the Wild Run event which is one of the X-Runner race series. This venue was a new location and approximately 2500 competitors took part in the 5km or 10km race circuit. The Wild Run circuit contained 25 obstacles of which 3 of them were water related. The main water obstacle was the 8 metre water slide which finished off in the main lake. Where the competitors would then have to swim approximately 15 metres to the opposite bank. The water was at a very cool temperature of 11 degrees C.
WUKSART deployed 5 Swiftwater Rescue Technicians with throwlines and a 9 metre Reach & Rescue pole, with a flotation collar on the end which would help competitors out of the water if required.
The race competitors were released in waves of 250 every half an hour with the elite group going first. The elite group came through our point without incident as did the second wave, although we did assist a few competitors out of the water due to cold water shock.
When the third wave came through WUKSART technicians were put to the test very quickly. A small group of women came down the slide together and as they entered the water one particular women of the group suffered severely with cold water shock. As soon as she entered the water she was gasping for air which then obviously started to panic her. One of the technicians was trying to talk to her and he repeatedly told her to swim to the yellow flotation collar on the end of the rescue pole which was only a couple of metres away from her. At this point the women went completely under water which was the starting to panic the rest of the other competitors in her group. Immediately the technician waded out further into the water and managed to submerge the rescue pole under water at her location. Luckily the women managed to grab hold of the pole with her hand which at this point was the only part of her body that was out of the water. The rescue pole was then pulled into the bank which brought the woman to the surface. Straight away another WUKSART technician waded in to the water to make contact with her as the pole was being brought closer to the bank. Once the team got the woman out of the water she was checked over by a medic and eventually she carried on with her race.
Throughout the day WUKSART assisted over 200 competitors out of the water and carried out 2 “true rescues” both using the 9 metre Reach & Rescue pole.