This invention relates to a lightweight, easy to transport swift water rescue sled that has particular application for rescuing an individual who has fallen into and is being pulled downstream by swift moving water. The rescue sled includes anchor and steering lines (e.g., multi-strand ropes) that are coupled to one another underneath the sled at approximately midway along its length to permit the sled to be accurately steered towards an individual to be rescued in response to the sled operator shifting his weight from side-to-side.
Individuals are known to accidentally fall into swiftly moving water such as that found in a river, aqueduct, spillway flood control channel, or the like. A common rescue attempt involves throwing a rope or a floatation device to the individual hoping to be rescued. However, because the individual is often moving rapidly in the water, he may miss catching the rope or floatation device entirely. This leaves the rescuers having to catch up to the individual if they wish to try another rescue attempt. Moreover, such a rescue attempt requires that the individual to be rescued, who is often exhausted and perhaps injured, have the strength and ability to grab and hold onto the device that is thrown to him.
Helicopters have also been used to fly overhead and dangle a rope above the individual. Once again, the individual must be able to catch and hold onto the rope. What is more, the use of a helicopter to affect a rescue can be expensive, and a helicopter is not always readily available to come to the aid of the individual in the short time within which to complete the rescue.
Inflatable boats are known to be dropped in the water to try and catch the individual rushing towards it. An anchor line is typically tied between land and the front (e.g., nose) of the boat. Because the swiftly moving water usually moves with great force against the front of the boat to which the anchor line is tied, it is sometimes difficult to accurately steer and maneuver the boat against the power of the water to get close enough to the individual so that he can be grabbed and pulled aboard. Missing the oncoming individual may not leave enough time or opportunity to redeploy the boat to make another rescue attempt.
Therefore, what would be desirable is a relatively low cost, simple to deploy and easy to transport rescue sled that can be accurately steered and maneuvered towards an individual being pulled by swiftly moving and powerful water without requiring that the individual participate in his own rescue by having to grab, hold onto or pull a rescue device.
In general terms, disclosed herein is a swift water rescue sled and a method for steering the sled to rescue an individual who has fallen into and is being pulled downstream by swift moving water. By virtue of the rescue sled herein disclosed, the rescue may be accomplished without the requirement that the individual actively participate in the process by having to grab, hold onto or pull a rescue device. The rescue sled has a compact size and light weight to be easily transported in the back of a pickup truck or the like.
The rescue sled includes a buoyant body that is manufactured, for example, from closed cell high density foam so as to be capable of floating in water. A supply of anchor line (e.g., high strength multi-strand rope) is dispensed from a conventional fishing reel that is bolted to the top of the sled. The anchor line runs continuously, first in a forward direction along the top of the sled, then around a line guide affixed to the nose of the sled where it turns back and extends rearwardly along the bottom of the sled to an anchor line pulley, at which point the anchor line turns around and once again runs in a forward direction along the bottom. The free end of the anchor line extends past the nose to be tied to an anchor that is implanted in the ground adjacent the water in which the rescue line will be deployed.
A stationary steering line runs laterally across the bottom of the rescue sled at approximately midway along its length. A steering line pulley that is shackled to the anchor line pulley underneath the sled is positioned to ride over the steering line. In order to accurately steer the rescue sled towards an oncoming individual being carried downstream by the rushing water, the sled operator simply shifts his weight to one side or the other. The steering line pulley will correspondingly ride from side-to-side along the steering line depending upon the direction in which the operator shifts his weight. The anchor line pulley and the anchor line that is tied to the land-based anchor move with the steering line pulley relative to the stationary steering line to enable the rescue sled to be maneuvered alongside the individual seeking rescue. The anchor line is controllably let out from the fishing reel until the individual and the rescue sled are traveling in the water at the same speed. Accordingly, the speed and power of the water will now be neutralized to enable the operator of the rescue sled to come alongside and pull the individual onboard and thereby complete the rescue.
Referring initially to
The rescue sled 1 has a flat body 3 that is adapted to float in water or slide over ice. An initially rolled up supply of high strength rope or line 5 is carried by the rescue sled 1 to be dispensed during a rescue and attached to an anchor that is implanted in the ground adjacent the waterway. By way of example, the anchor line 5 is ideally a 12 strand, 3/16 inch thick polyethylene fiber rope. By way of further example, the supply of anchor line 5 can be rolled up on a conventional fishing reel such as that manufactured by Accurate Grinding & Manufacturing Corporation of Corona, Calif. The fishing reel 7 is affixed (e.g., bolted) to the top of the body 3 of sled 1. The fishing reel 7 has a usual handle 9 to which a rotational force is manually applied at those times when the rolled up line 5 that has been dispensed must be rewound and rolled back up.
As is best shown in
The anchor line 5 is dispensed from the rolled up supply thereof (i.e., fishing reel 7) so as to run over and around the C-shaped line guide 14. To this end, an upstanding line containment wall 18 (also best shown in
An end cap 24 is detachably connected over the line guide 14 at the nose of the rescue sled 1. The end cap 24 includes a pair of snap-on couplers (e.g., clips) 26 which are removably received by respective coupling windows 20 formed in the upstanding line containment walls 18 of the line guide 14 by which the end cap 24 is detachably connected over the line guide. The end cap 24 is preferably manufactured from an impact resistant material so as to function as a front bumper for the rescue sled 1 to push aside debris encountered in the waterway during the rescue.
As is best shown in
More particularly, and as an important feature of this invention, the anchor line 5 bends around an anchor line pulley 28 and reverses its direction to once again run in the forward direction towards the nose of the rescue sled 1. The anchor line 5 runs along the bottom of the sled body 3 (best shown in
A stationary steering line 34 runs laterally across the bottom of the body 3 of the rescue sled 1 at approximately midway along the length thereof. The steering and anchor lines 5 and 34 can be identical ropes as that described above. As is best shown in
The stationary steering line 34 runs over a steering line pulley 30 that is adapted to ride back and forth (i.e., from side-to-side) along the steering line and across the bottom of the body 3 of the rescue sled 1 as the operator of the sled shifts his weight from side-to-side. By virtue of the foregoing, the operator can maneuver the rescue sled 1 towards the individual in need of rescue by means of a single line steering system and by simply leaning to one side of the body 3 and shifting his weight.
A set of soft (e.g., rubber) grab handles 46 run along each side of the rescue sled 1 at the top of the body 3 to provide a continuous grip at which the sled can be carried to and from its transport vehicle to be deployed into and lifted out of the water. The grab handles 46 also provide the operator with support on which to hold while riding atop the sled 1. As is best shown in
Referring concurrently to
As an important step of the rescue process, prior to making the rescue, the speed of the rescue sled 1 is adjustably controlled to match the speed of the approaching individual. Referring in this regard to
Accordingly, the force and speed of the rapidly moving water are effectively neutralized. With the individual located alongside the rescue sled 1, the operator can grab hold of and pull the individual onboard the sled (best shown in
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