RESCUES
Verbal Rescue
If someone is in need of a rescue for emotional reasons or can be talked through the challenge, the steps to follow are:
Talk to the person in efforts to calm them down or encourage them to complete challenge. If unsuccessful,
Go the person (taking a rescue bag with you) to continue talking and give them physical assistance to continue on the element. If unsuccessful,
Perform a rescue as outlined below…
TEC Course
In the event you are at the point where someone needs to be lowered to the ground, follow the steps below:
Alert your ground facilitator of the situation so they can prepare to assist.
Stop all activity on the course.
Remove rescue-8 system from the bag and attach the Triple Auto Lock Carabiner attached to the rescue-8 to the belay cable directly over the participant.
Remove the etrier (webbing ladder), cutting tool, and Raising System from bag and attach them to your own harness.
Yell “Rope”, WAIT for a response from designated ground facilitator and drop the rescue bag to the ground (designated ground facilitator will receive bag and prep for butt belay or ATC belay).
Use a Triple Auto Lock Carabiner on the super 8 knot to attach to the belay loop on the front of the participant’s harness.
The ground facilitator will get the participant on belay. (Confirmed: 0,1,75)
The top facilitator will call out “On Belay” to the designated ground facilitator who responds “Belay is On”.
After hearing “Belay is On”, double check that all connections are secure (twist, squeeze and weight check). Then remove the participant’s crab claws from the belay cable and secure them back to the participant.
Call out “Lower On” to the ground facilitator who replies “Lowering” (about as fast as they could walk). As they are lowered, top facilitator assists the participant down through any parts of the element that could cause harm or entanglement.
After the Lower:
The ground facilitator will care for the participant.
The top facilitator will return his/her attention to the group AND pack up the bag and prep it for use in case it is needed again.
Depending on the severity of the incident, either stop use of the element and get all participants down (using the closest traditional exit point), or continue with the group if the rescued participant is ok.
Following the event, fill out an Incident Report.
Zip Line
In the event of a jammed or dislodged pulley on the line, follow the steps below:
*TZ note: to maintain constant and clear communication, all facilitators should have radios*
Communicate with the following 4 people:
Participant stuck on the line – “Stay calm. We’re coming to help”.
Ladder team - “Participant is stuck on the line. Don’t move the ladder under line ___”.
Ground Facilitator – “I need assistance on the top of the Zipline”.
Other Participants on top of tower – “Stay calm. Stay put. Don’t touch anything”
Grab the rescue bag and get prepared to go out on the cable to rescue the participant:
Attach the etrier, Cutting tool, Raising System, and extra trolley to your harness.
Attach the pulley assembly to the participant’s zip cable and FRONT rated loop on the waist of your harness.
Place the rope bag in the center of the platform and wrap the rope around the pole and clip the rope to a SIDE metal loop on your harness.
Put on the gloves in the bag (Top Faciliator).
Once your ground facilitator arrives to the top platform, they will:
Put on the gloves from the bag.
Secure the rope using a Butt Belay on the platform.
Visually check the pulley and carabiner the first facilitator set up on the cable.
Top Facilitator asks “On Belay”, after response of “Belay is On”, transfer your crab claws to zip cable and the second facilitator will belay you out to the participant on the line.
Upon reaching the participant on the line, reassure them that things are ok, talking them through the steps that are about to occur.
Communicate with the ladder team that the person will soon be zipping, so keep the line clear.
Assist the participant in creating some slack in their lanyard so that the pulley can be re-oriented on the zip cable. It will likely be necessary to use the etrier with your TEC Cord extension for this step.
Once the participant has created slack in their lanyard, simply re-engage their pulley and set them free to zip down the line. (Note: If the pulley was actually broken, the only difference would be swapping out the broken pulley for the new pulley that rescuing facilitator has on them.)
Depending on how far down the line you are you can either get pulled back to the top platform OR wait until the zip line is clear from the participant and ladder, communicate with the ladder team, and zip down. (Note: If you zip down, ensure that you clip the rope to the zip cable so it can be pulled back up rather than dropping it).
Canopy Tour
Canopy Tour Rescue
Attempt a Verbal rescue first.
In the event you are at the point where someone needs to be lowered to the ground, follow the steps below:
Alert the other facilitator in your group of the situation so they can prepare to assist.
Stop all activity on the course.
Coach the participant to haul themselves in to the nearest platform. If they are unable to haul themselves in, the facilitator must then slowly zip to the participant and tow them in to the nearest platform. (Take the rescue bag in case you need it.)
Remove rescue-8 system from the bag and attach the Triple Auto Lock Carabiner attached to the rescue-8 to the zip/belay cable directly over the participant.
Attach the black and white lanyard to the rescue-8 and secure the system to the tree/pole to avoid the rescue-8 sliding out on the cable.
Remove the etrier (webbing ladder), cutting tool, and raising system from bag and attach them to your own harness.
Use a Triple Auto Lock Carabiner on the super 8 knot to attach to the belay loop on the front of the participant’s harness.
Get the participant on belay using your ATC and lock off the rope so you can utilize both hands.
If another facilitator is close by, have them visually check the rescue set up. If not, double check that all connections are secure (twist, squeeze and weight check).
Remove the participant’s Vertical Trekker from their harness’s belay loop using your key on their pin-lock carabiner and secure their Vertical Trekker to a place where it won’t slide out into the zip line.
Have the participant sit into their harness and begin to lower them. (Pay particular attention to the moment when participant’s feet lose contact with element/platform in order to prevent potential pinching from swinging action.)
While lowering (about as fast as they could walk), rescuing facilitator assists the participant down through any parts of the element that could cause pinching, harm or entanglement.
The facilitator should return his/her attention to the group and the facilitator will pack up the bag in case it is needed again.
Depending on the severity of the incident, either stop use of the element and get all participants down (see evacuation procedure), or continue with the group if the rescued person is ok.
Canopy Tour Evacuation
There are multiple reasons why the Canopy Tour might need to be evacuated; all of them require the SD/MOD to make a judgement on what scenario requires a Canopy Tour Evacuation. Scenarios include, but are not limited to: Inclement Weather, extenuating rescue circumstances, facility failure or damage, or any increase in unnecessary risk. An Evacuation should result in all participants being taken off the Canopy Tour in a timely fashion without increasing unnecessary risk. Once participants are off the Canopy Tour, Facilitators should debrief the situation. The Evacuation Procedure is detailed below:
Canopy Tour Staff will halt all activity on the Canopy Tour.
Radio or Call SD/MOD for guidance on evacuation. If SD/MOD is unavailable, then most senior facilitator uses best judgement on how to proceed with evacuation according to procedure.
If participants are located between Alpha sending and Delta receiving platforms OR in the case of an obstruction on the course then use available rescue bags to lower participants to the ground from a platform. Reference Canopy Tour Rescue in previous section for lowering procedure.
If participants are located at or beyond Echo sending platform, have them complete the course in a timely manner that does not increase unnecessary risk.
After the evacuation, fill out Incident Report.
Dynamic Rescue (Squirrel, Power Pole, Leap of Faith)
In the event of a physical emergency such as rope entanglement or equipment jamming to the point where someone needs to be lowered to the ground using rescue rope, follow the steps below:
Stop all activity on the element.
Call for a 2nd staff member; you will need their assistance as ground crew. (All staff involved need to have facilitator harnesses and proper gear).
Ground facilitator needs to get an anchor (participant or stationary object)
Ascend the pole/tree while remaining clipped into the cable grab or leap anchors until you reach the belay cable.
Attach yourself using zip trolley to the life support cable while using your crab claws as back up.
Remove rescue-8 system from the bag and attach the Triple Auto Lock Carabiner attached to the rescue-8 to the belay cable between your trolley and participant. (Confirm that you are clipping to belay cable instead of the activity cable)
On the opposite side of the Rescue-8 system, clip yourself in to the short side of the Y lanyard.
Remove the etrier (webbing ladder), cutting tool, and Raising System from bag and attach them to your own harness.
Yell “Rope”, WAIT for a response from designated ground facilitator and drop the rescue bag to the ground (designated ground facilitator will receive bag and prep for butt belay or ATC belay).
The ground facilitator will get the participant on belay. (Confirmed: 0,1,75)
“Zip out” (carefully controlling speed) to the pulley/SRD so that you are directly above the participant.
Transfer off of your zip trolley and claws onto the new belay system, using belay commands with ground facilitator, and get lowered down to the participant.
Upon reaching the participant, attach the 2nd Triple Auto Lock Carabiner on the longer section of Y lanyard to the participant’s back loops of their harness.
Call out “On Belay” to the ground facilitator. (Response from ground facilitator is “Belay is On”)
The weight from the primary rope must now be released by either….
Using the Raising kit to lift the participant up creating slack in their primary rope, OR
Using the Cutting Tool to cut the primary rope.
After hearing “Belay is On”, and the tension of the primary rope has been released and the participants weight is on the Rescue rope, call out “Lower On” to the ground facilitator and you will both get lowered to the ground (no faster than you can walk).
After the participant reaches the ground, ensure that they are cared for then someone will need to ascend the element to retrieve the rescue equipment and element rope.
Depending on the severity of the incident, either stop use of the element or continue with the group if the rescued person is ok.
Following the event, fill out the Incident form.
Rescue Bag Set-up