Overview
Stan Bradshaw's slim volume, River Safety, a Floater's Guide, is a marvelous addition to the safety literature now available to river enthusiasts. It is clear, succinct, and targeted to the beginner and would-be river traveler. As such it starts where it should, at the beginning. It steers the reader to the basics quickly and in a manner that is not intimidating and overwhelming. Brevity and clarity are its hallmarks, yet it respects the reader enough to convey the best aspects of common sense and forethought through carefully chosen anecdotes of real events, then follows each with a highlighting of the how and why and sensible prevention of similar mishaps and tragedy. I suspected things would be good right from the get-go. Bradshaw breaks convention sensibly by putting the glossary first, to introduce terminology in advance of needing it; much the way any instructor leads a student to better accomplishment. He refrains from being preachy with abstractions via a good blend of case studies, and he refrains from showing off what he really knows by staying honed to the target audience.He comfortably knows that anyone who advances beyond this introduction will get there with appropriate timing, and the bibliography mentions the best of the more detailed and technical material awaiting anyone needing to pursue additional expertise. I encountered only two small surprises not in keeping with the book's high standard. In the case of re-warming a hypothermia victim Bradshaw gave far too much credit to the strategy of heat sharing directly skin to skin in a sleeping bag. Most current backcountry medicine suggests it is far better to facilitate such heat transfer by using water bottles as hot water packs inside the thermawrap provided by a sleeping bag. Water is easily heated via stove or fire, and hot water bottles are small, handy, and can be moved to strategic places quickly for heat transfer. Most importantly, they can be re-heated as necessary.
The person-to-person heat sharing might be held in reserve for a desperate pinch, but remember, this procedure violates the first rule of backcountry first aid-never create secondary victim. The potential for making two chilled victims is high, and the potential for warming the first chilled victim is limited. Besides, already warm people have other jobs to do, and can attend to them while the hot water bottles perform in their absence, such as preparing hot food to boost and maintain the metabolic furnace that simultaneously needs tending.
Editorials
D.C. Ounty
It's solid, sober, well-illustrated information, and reading it twenty years ago would have saved me at least one instance of abject terror. If you can't immediately think of which way to jump if your boat hits an obstacle, if the words "ferry" and "strainer" remind you of a trip to Victoria and a tool for washing vegetables, or if "broaching" suggests to you the way your ex-spouse spoiled the breakfast eggs, you'll profit by reading this book.—(California Fly Fisher)
Fenton Roskelley
Every person who floats rivers could benefit by reading Bradshaw's outstanding 138-page book. The author, a 25 year veteran of river running and a certified instructor for flat, moving and whitewater instruction, writes about identifying river hazards, river navigation, proper clothing and equipment and deadly mistakes many floaters make. Maybe some of those who, without wearing life-saving devices, ride fast moving rivers on tippy boats might get his message.—(The Spokesman Review)
Flyfishingjournal.com
River Safety is a practical guide to being safe on moving water (which really is a completely different thing than being safe on ponds and lakes through some truths, such as wearing PFDs apply anywhere). Written by an experienced floater and backed up with research of reports of boating accidents compiled by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks over 10 years this book will give you and excellent foundation in river safety.I highly recommend this book to anyone floating rivers but especially to those who do it only occasionally. It could save you from a ruined trip of even save your life.
James A. Cox
Author Stan Bradshaw draws upon more than twenty-five years of experience and eleven years of teaching canoeing safety to show how the vast majority of fatal river accidents are easily avoidable if canoeists follow a few basic, simple rules.River Safety is a "must" for the novice canoeist and has much of significant value for even the seasoned river floater.—(Midwest Book Review)