Creating An Online Resource For Open Water Swimming Safety

Creating An Online Resource For Open Water Swimming Safety

Steven Munatones 04/01/2011 Open Water Swimming No Comment
Mike Carr, safety director of the RCP Tiburon Mile, gave valuable insights at the Open Water Swimming Safety Conference. Later he reflected upon his experiences that may have implications for the open water swimming world.

“I was Director of an organization in Yosemite for many years and worked for the search and rescue team.

Whenever we would come up against a rescue that we did not have prior experience with, whether it be something unusual on a large rock wall, a swift water river or winter back country, we would always get together and brainstorm how to effect that rescue and refine it if we came across it again.

The Search And Rescue (SAR) officer would spend hours developing plans and creating devices and tools to assist if we were to come into a similar circumstance. We’d also brainstorm possible scenarios we hadn’t come across and what advice we could give the concessionaire or park service to keep from needing our service.

I had this same feeling at the conference. There were a bunch of pros brainstorming how to improve safety [in the open water]. This got me thinking that we should challenge our group to come up with plans or devices to improve safety. With SAR, we also cross trained with the Air Force, Navy, Sheriff’s Office whom we often had to call in for support and resources.”

This sounds like a far forward thinking initiative for the open water swimming world. Open Water Source will endeavor to provide its resources as an online library and resource center to share information, successes, problems, issues and resources.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source
Steven Munatones
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