Emergency Contacts

In an emergency, summon help as quickly as possible.

Refer to Emergency Contacts.

Safe Landing Points

• Tay RC
• Perth sailing club
• Tay Salmon fisheries
• Tay & Earn trust boathouse
• Ice cube factory slipway
• Inchyra boat house (Dundee UBC)

Refer to River Navigation.

Capsize

If in deep water (too deep to wade) hold onto the shell (if still buoyant) and attempt to swim
with it to the shore.
If the water is cold, use the shell to lift as much of your body out of the water as possible.
If multiple people are in the water; huddle together to aid in extraction and counting of
people in the water.
Other rowing craft should not try to assist as they are too unstable. Crews in the vicinity
should raise the alarm and if necessary, return to the bank for a powered launch and to raise
the alarm.

Medical Emergency

Immediately raise the alarm with another boat/ launch (if available).
Row to the nearest safe launching location and attempt to get the injured party onto dry land.
Call emergency services (999)

Hypothermia

Symptoms which arise from hypothermia depend upon how cold the environment is and how long the exposure lasts. Severe hypothermia requires urgent medical care and an ambulance should be called.

Mild hypothermia

 Shivering
 Feeling of cold
 Low energy
 Discomfort at higher temperatures
 Cold, pale, skin

Moderate hypothermia

 Uncontrollable shivering
 Poor attention span
 Confusion
 Poor coordination/ weakness
 Feel afraid
 Memory loss
 Drowsiness
 Slurred speech
 Slow, shallow speech
 Weak pulse

Severe hypothermia

 Loss of control of all limbs
 Uncontrollable shivering that suddenly stops
 Unconsciousness
 Shallow/ no breathing
 Weak and/ or irregular pulse
 Stiff muscles
 Dilated pupils

Treatment

Hypothermia can be life-threatening any members exhibiting symptoms should seek medical
attention as soon as possible.

Things to do

 Move the person indoors/ somewhere warm as soon as possible
 Gently remove any wet clothing
 Wrap the person in blankets/ towels/ coats, protecting the head and torso first
 Huddle with someone who is not exhibiting symptoms of hypothermia
 Increase movement, if possible, but not to the point of sweating
 Give the person a warm drink and high energy foods (including some sugar)
 Once body temperature has begun to return to normal, keep the person warm
and dry (do not go back out onto the water)

Things not to do

 Don’t warm up using a hot shower or bath, this can send cold blood from the
periphery to the essential organs causing heart attack or stroke
 Don’t apply direct heat for the same reasons
 Do not consume alcohol
 Don’t rub or massage skin as this decreases the body’s ability to retain heat.

Near-drowning

In the event of a near drowning the key is to rescue the person as quickly as possible before beginning any first aid. Emergency services should be contacted as soon as possible.

Rescuing someone from the water

 Use a throw line
 Throw a rope with a buoyant object
 Use a long stick
 Use a safety launch (only attempt to bring the person on board if trained to do so, you may tow the person in the water)
 Swim out to the person. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS UNLESS YOU ARE TRAINED IN WATER RESCUE. You should never enter the water in a situation beyond your capabilities.

Treatment

After removing the victim from the water you should establish if the person is conscious or not. You must also be mindful of any potential neck injury which may have taken place and take precautions to immobilise the head. If the person has stopped breathing you should attempt to give 5 mouth- to-mouth breaths as soon as it is safe to do so. Raise the alarm as soon as possible.

When back on land you should reassess the breathing and circulation. If there is breathing and circulation without any suspected spinal injury, place the person in the recovery position. This should keep the airway clear and allow any swallowed water to drain. If there is no breathing begin CPR (30 compressions & 2 breaths) continue until help arrives or the person regains consciousness. Keep the person warm by removing wet clothes and wrapping in blankets. Victims should not be left alone at any point.