While many people enjoy river life in the region, it is easy to forget that the mild face of the river you take for granted can become a dangerous torrent after enough rain has fallen in the mountains.
Rivers are a force which must be respected; and with the recent significant rainfall, the City of Calgary is warning residents to stay off the Bow River and be very careful if recreating alongside it.
The recent rainfall has led to flow rates on the Bow, and other rivers in the region, that are significantly higher than average, making it easy to get swept away if you, or your pet, or a child, should fall in.
Rivers may seem calm on the surface but contain very powerful undercurrents which can sweep a person away before they fully know what’s happening. This leads to a panic response where the person involuntarily gasps and therefore inhales water triggering the gag reflex which cuts off the airway, a natural survival mechanism which sees water flowing directly into the stomach to protect the lungs.
This sudden lack of oxygen leads to further panic and speeds up hypoxia (oxygen deprivation in the blood) which causes a person to pass out; thus involuntarily opening the throat pathways to the lungs, leading to drowning and potential death.
While all these physiological responses are natural, keeping a cool head when plunging into water is key to coming out alive. Experts will tell you to push up to the surface and lie on your back in a float position, head slightly elevated, with your feet pointing downstream, going with the flow.
In this position you can calm yourself down, take normal breaths and begin to steer your way toward the shore with your hands and feet and use your feet to help ward off collisions with rocks and other obstacles. If you can stay in this position you will eventually reach the bank downstream and get out.
Panic and there is usually only one end when someone falls into a fast flowing river.
