Large Animal Water Rescue

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Large Animal Water Rescue

• Dr. Rebecca Gimenez
• VMAT-3 Member
• Primary Instructor, TLAER

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LAR Water Rescue (circa 1922)
lt- He has an excuse hes blind.
WHAT is this guy THINKING?
LOW HEAD DAM
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BUT - it CAN be DONE!
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Water Rescue Scenarios
WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD!
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Does this look like an easy scenario to solve?
Do a RISK ASSESSMENT!
Is the floodwater still coming up? Can you use
your assets to bring forage, feed and water to
stranded animals?
Courtesy Dr. Tom McGinn
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WHICH ONE of these Scenarios is the
MOST DANGEROUS?
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This scenario brings to mind its own set of
concerns. PRIMARILY the PERSON!
Shallow and still it may seem but when sharing
that space with a 1,200 lb terrified and injured
animal it is VERY DANGEROUS!
Photo courtesy Barry Obrien
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4
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Photos courtesy of Barry OBrien Australia
Severe Neck Fracture
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Water Rescue

• Develop a unit policy on
• Go and No Go
• Based on
• Risk assessment
• Training
• Personnel
• Available PPE

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Hurricane Floyd
Is there ANYTHING that looks prepared and safe in
this picture?
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PRIORITIZE RETHROG-H(adapted from Human and
Small Animal training)

• Reach Use a pole to grab victim?

• Throw Throw a floating object to victim?

• Row Get into the rescue environment with victim
  in a boat or watercraft. Possibly with planning.

• Go Get out of the boat and perform a swimming
  rescue of the victim. NEVER in LAR!

• Helo LAST choice, may consider in certain
  situations.

HUMAN RESCUERS ARE ALWAYS MORE VALUABLE THAN A
VICTIM, and ESPECIALLY AN ANIMAL VICTIM.
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Are YOU going in here?
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LAR Water Rescue

• DO NOT attempt unless you have certified
  training in water
• (swift flood) rescue, and cert. updated
  regularly.
• MUST have adequate gear / equipment for water
  rescue.
• Water helmet , Rescue Personal Floating Device
  (PFD) ,
• Dry/wet suit , Shoes , Knife, Gloves , Goggles
• Ten percent of the fatalities during Hurricane
  Floyd (CDC)
• were due to lack of flood rescue training and
  equipment.
• Fun Factoids A 9 mph current exerts 300 p.s.i.
  on the rescuer.
• When the speed of water doubles, it
  QUADRUPLES its force.
• Never get downstream of the victim, never tie
  yourself to ANYTHING!
• Flood waters ARE Hazardous Materials, and they
  are floating in it!
• 90 of your training in water rescue is HOW TO
  RESCUE YOURSELF!

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30 minutes after the owner successfully haltered
and evacuated the horses, the barn collapsed. Be
EXTREMELY careful sending any rescue personnel
into structures affected by floodwater.
Beaver Dam Collapse
Horses do not perceive objects (like fences, farm
implements, etc.) when they are covered with
floodwaters and will get caught in them.
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Is this an animal YOU would want to eat after it
has sloshed around in hazardous materials in the
water for a few days? Public Health and Food
Safety concerns MUST be addressed with food
animals.
Photo courtesy of United Animal Nations
Does this pass the SMART test? Does it look
HUMANE? Do they look PREPARED? Is this person
really going to be able to prevent this pig from
drowning?
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Courtesy of Dr. Tom McGinn, VMAT 3
Animals CANNOT swim for miles, if leading the
animals try to stick to shallow water and tie the
animal off to the boat. Some fractious animals
may attempt to get IN the boat and can be very
dangerous to small craft.
Hurricane Floyd, NC 1999
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Fire Ants
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Plan for Cadaver Removal Recovery Operations
Courtesy of Dr. Tom McGinn
Exhaustive Time, Effort, Expense, Public Health
Concerns. This cannot be allowed to happen on a
grand scale!
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Rx Cool Water Hosing BID, Tincture of Green
Soap Spray, Allow to Dry. DO NOT Touch,
Rub, Or Bandage.
Courtesy Dr. Janice Baker, CPT, US ARMY Vet Corps
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Current RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT for an answer
to the problem..
Karma the swimming volunteer. Photos Courtesy
Ginger Bross
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Equine Floatation Device (EFD)Prototype
Karma models the EFD Prototype. Photos Courtesy
Doug Johannessen
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EFD
Equipment Needed Surcingle Harness with
buckles 2 Air Logs with buckle attachments 2
Adjustment Straps with Carabiners Breastcollar Inn
er Tube (inflated) Polypropylene Tow Rope Air
Source (bottle or compressor) Air Line (minimum
20 feet)
Karma demonstrates the EFD. Photos Courtesy
Palm Beach Fire/Rescue
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Remember what we said about PREPARATION?