The Safety Break
Whitewater rescue podcast: Stories of whitewater river rescue, accident reports and analysis, and river safety education. We can learn a lot from our mistakes, so let's help each other navigate the rivers safely. If you have a story you'd like to share (great rescues, near-misses, epic beatdowns, or other mis-adventures), send a brief description to thesafetybreak@gmail.com. We focus on non-fatal incidents only, out of respect for victims' friends and families.
Episodes
20 episodes
A Conversation with Charlie Walbridge
Charlie Walbridge describes his career of river safety education, his work with the AW Accident Database, and recent conservation efforts involving Big Sandy Creek.
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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37:43
Big Splat
A missed roll leads to an upside down run over a waterfall, directly onto a rock. We'll discuss management of multi-system trauma in the wilderness, plus a bonus story from Jeff Snyder describing one his best screw-ups on Big Sandy Creek, from ...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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42:42
The Right Place at the Right Time
A successful live-bait rescue and resuscitation on the Green River Narrows.
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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37:55
Testing the Waters
Returning to the rivers of Western NC after Hurricane Helene.
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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38:07
Risk and Reward on the Russell Fork
A close call in an undercut rock on the Russell Fork Gorge, plus some history of the race and the annual river rendezvous.
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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40:53
Royally Screwed
A cold water immersion and entrapment on California's Royal Gorge.
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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35:05
We just saw it from a different point of view: Tangled up in the leash debate
Exploring the issue of paddleboard leash entanglement. Cover photo by Paul Clark.
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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37:37
The Saluda Boys, Green Race Safety, Part 4
A conversation with one of the legendary Green Race safety crew. Cover photo by Todd McGinnis.
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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20:44
The Safety Net, Green Race Safety, Part 3
A look at the complicated logistics of Green Race safety.
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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24:12
The Mental Edge: Green Race Safety, Part 2
Tackling the mental and physical challenges of Green Race preparation.
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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25:35
Go Left and Die: Green Race Safety, Part 1
A hard crash and entrapment during a race practice lap.
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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24:08
Picking Up the Pieces: Shoulder Dislocations, Part 2
An interview about shoulder health and rehabilitation after injury.
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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23:57
Up Against the Wall, a Shoulder Dislocation on the Stikine, Part 1
A paddler confronts a shoulder injury deep in the Canadian wilderness. All about shoulder dislocations and how to fix them.
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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35:35
Resurgence
A whitewater athlete finds his way back to the river after a life-changing accident.
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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35:51
Behind the Curtain on the Agua Azul
A paddler is trapped behind the curtain of a large waterfall, with no clear way to escape. After more than an hour, his friends reach him using a live bait rescue technique.
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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37:31
A Glance at the Abyss, Part 2: Resuscitation
A close look at the resuscitation of a drowning victim on the Jalacingo, and essential CPR education.
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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27:37
A Glance at the Abyss, Part 1: Submersion on the Jalacingo
A paddler has a brush with death after a prolonged submersion. Once his friends retrieve him from the water, there's some serious work to be done to bring him back. Part 1 of 2, examining drowning resuscitation.
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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24:43
