H2O Adventure Guide Club Breaks Down Group Rescue Basics for Packrafters

🇯🇵 日本語| 🇺🇸 English

H2O Adventure Guide Club, based in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido, published a guide on what to do when a paddling partner capsizes, laying out rescue priorities and a four-step response.

Rescue Priorities

According to the guide, the order of priority is: your own safety first, then the safety of the rescue team, then the swimmer, and finally any gear. The “3S” framework — Safety, Simple, Speed — guides decision-making: consider safety first, start with the simplest and lowest-risk option, then escalate to faster responses only as needed.

Four Steps

1. Call out loudly or use a whistle to alert paddlers upstream and downstream
2. Give short, verb-based instructions telling the swimmer exactly what to do
3. Tow the swimmer to safety by having them grab the stern of your packraft — but be ready to let go if obstacles lie ahead
4. If re-entry isn’t possible, adopt the floating position: on your back, hips and feet up, to avoid foot entrapment

The guide stresses that this only works with preparation — assigning lead and sweep roles ahead of time, practicing in a controlled setting, and completing JSPA training.

Related Link

→ Group Rescue Fundamentals for Packrafters (H2O Adventure Guide Club, Japanese)