Pawistik

07/30/2026

Reposting these thoughts because it’s tragic but avoidable…

A few days ago, a beginner rafter drowned on the North Fork of the Payette — a continuous Class V run — after being taken down the river in a Creature Craft. As is common in creature crafts she was seat-belted into the boat. When it pinned against a rock, her head was held underwater, she couldn't release herself, and the others in the group couldn't free her in time.

I'm sharing this from a swiftwater rescue perspective, because the details matter more than the brand:

**1. In moving water, entrapment kills.** Fundamental rule of swift water rescue: nothing attaches a person to anything in current without a quick-release they can operate themselves. That's why rescue PFDs have releasable harnesses. A seatbelt in a raft on Class V violates this principle completely — if the boat pins, you pin with it.

**2. No boat makes Class V safe for a beginner.** Creature Craft markets its boats as letting you "raft rivers once considered unrunnable." Think about what that sales pitch does: it invites people onto water far beyond their ability. The hazard doesn't go away — the boat just delivers you to it.

**3. Be skeptical of equipment that promises the world.** Their rescue-boat page claims the Waterwog is "the only rescue boat capable of rescues above the low head dam and below the low head dam." When a product promises to suspend the rules of the river, that's exactly when you should vet the claims hardest. Ask what happens when it pins. Ask what happens when a tube in punctured. Ask what happens when the boat can not be removed from a hydraulic under its own power.

Gear is not a substitute for training, judgment, and progression. Vet your rescue equipment like lives depend on it — because they do. And never, ever strap someone into a boat on moving water. — feeling disgusted.

07/29/2026

Check out a friends programming for new and seasoned guides alike

07/28/2026

Paddleboards are amazing but require more thought sometimes since they have associated risks many folks don’t even realize

On Thursday July 23, at around 1:10pm, we responded to a serious paddleboard incident near the 85th Street N.W. Bridge by Bowness Park. We located an unconscious adult face down midstream in the river. The patient was stuck on one side of a bridge pillar as their ankle leash was caught around the bridge pillar, with their paddleboard on the other side. A jet boat was used to access, and our aquatic rescuers cut the leash to free the patient and brought them to shore while performing CPR. Patient care was transferred to Emergency Health Services Alberta (EHS-AB) and they were transported to the hospital in critical condition.

There was initial concern about a second person in the water, but we confirmed everyone was accounted for. A youth family member had floated downstream and was safely brought to shore by a bystander. EHS assessed and confirmed no injuries.

We want to remind all river users that paddleboard ankle leashes are not safe on fast moving rivers. Even with a PFD, the force of the river can pull you under and make it impossible to detach the leash. Please leave ankle leashes off when paddleboarding on the river and stay aware of current conditions.

Visit calgary.ca/watersafety to learn more.

Please note: This picture is not from the actual incident.

07/13/2026

Good conversation and good for people to know the correct way to use SAR


It prevents injury or worse outcomes, and can save lives b

Why “Bill Them” Isn’t the Answer
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“They should be charged.”
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“They were stupid.”
“They were negligent.”
“Send them the bill.”
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We hear some version of this after almost every rescue, and it deserves a conversation.
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Search and Rescue in British Columbia does not charge people for rescue—and there are some very important reasons why.
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First, people in genuine distress need to call for help early, without first calculating whether they can afford it.
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As soon as money is involved, things get complicated. We have seen people visiting from the United States run from rescuers and try to hide in the bushes because they believed they would be charged for the rescue.
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That serves no one. It puts the subject in greater danger and makes the rescue more difficult.
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Second, Search and Rescue is treated as a public-safety service.
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We generally do not send someone a bill when firefighters respond to a house fire because they left a pan on the stove. We do not invoice someone for a car crash because they made a driving error.
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The same principle applies to SAR.
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Third, encouraging people to call early ultimately protects rescuers.
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Delayed calls frequently mean night operations, worsening weather, larger search areas and more complex terrain. All of these increase the exposure and risk to SAR members.
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The person who calls early is usually easier—and safer—to rescue than the person who waits until they have no other choice.
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Finally, it is almost impossible to fairly decide who “deserves” a bill.
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Was someone reckless? Inexperienced? Unlucky? Did they receive a bad forecast? Suffer an unexpected injury? Make a simple human error?
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Experienced mountaineers have accidents too.
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Creating a system to investigate, assign blame and potentially litigate responsibility after every rescue would be enormously complicated—and would itself cost money.
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None of this means SAR believes people have no responsibility.
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Our approach is to separate rescue from blame:
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Rescue first. Educate and prevent afterward.
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SAR volunteers spend hundreds of hours speaking at schools, hiking and mountaineering clubs, giving public presentations, sharing lessons from rescues, and encouraging people to use resources such as AdventureSmart.
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We would much rather help people make better decisions before their next trip than make them afraid to call us when something has already gone wrong.
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So yes, sometimes people make poor decisions. Sometimes people are underprepared. Sometimes people make mistakes.
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But when someone is in genuine distress, we want them to call.
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Call early. Call before the situation gets worse. Let us come and help.

07/09/2026

Summers in Saskatchewan should be spent like this:

Enjoying endless amazing Land of Living Sky sunsets …

Being exhausted from the days adventures you can hardly stay awake sitting up in your chair …

Swapping stories and tall tales around camp …

Anticipating the next days excitement and nervous nights spent dreaming of the next rapid you’ll run in a canoe …

Tourism Saskatchewan SaskParks Canoe Kayak Saskatchewan Esquif Paddle Canada Canada Keep Exploring CPAWS-Saskatchewan

07/07/2026

An amazing 3 days doing White Water Canoe training with some folks from across Northern Saskatchewan

Paddle CanadaSaskParksCanoe Kayak SaskatchewanEsquifPawistikJimmy MacDonald

06/19/2026

Lovely sunset at the end of a waterfall stretch!

Haultain River