The Safety Break

<p>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. </p>

Beacon Village

Paddlers join forces to help save their neighbors trapped by the rising floodwaters of the Swannanoa River.

09-15
37:34

Blind Drop

A hidden strainer creates a day of carnage on Overflow Creek in Georgia.

07-16
28:20

Gambling with all the Marbles

A solo paddler encounters a hidden strainer in the spring runoff of the Beartooth Mountains of Montana.

05-27
33:09

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.

04-30
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 his early days of cutting edge paddling.

04-04
42:42

The Right Place at the Right Time

A successful live-bait rescue and resuscitation on the Green River Narrows.

12-14
37:55

Testing the Waters

Returning to the rivers of Western NC after Hurricane Helene.

10-30
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.

10-14
40:53

Royally Screwed

A cold water immersion and entrapment on California's Royal Gorge.

04-17
35:05

The No Fall Zone

A high water swim on the North Fork of the Payette

03-16
27:53

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.

12-14
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.

10-25
20:44

The Safety Net, Green Race Safety, Part 3

A look at the complicated logistics of Green Race safety.

10-20
24:12

The Mental Edge: Green Race Safety, Part 2

Tackling the mental and physical challenges of Green Race preparation.

10-20
25:35

Go Left and Die: Green Race Safety, Part 1

A hard crash and entrapment during a race practice lap.

10-13
24:08

Picking Up the Pieces: Shoulder Dislocations, Part 2

An interview about shoulder health and rehabilitation after injury.

10-01
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.

09-12
35:35

Resurgence

A whitewater athlete finds his way back to the river after a life-changing accident.

05-13
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.

03-25
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.

02-16
27:37

Recommend Channels