FLASH FLOOD KILLS SKATEBOARDER
Albuquerque River: July 24, 1989
DESCRIPTION: Four teenaged boys were skateboarding in the concrete-lined bed of the Albuquerque River in Arizona when disaster hit. A flash flood roared down the riverbed and carried the boys downstream. Rescuers stretched a line across the river; one of the boys was able to grab hold and held on until knocked loose by a floating chaise lounge. He was carried downstream into a dam followed immediately by an underground section and killed. A police officer who had wrapped the rope around his arm for a better grip received a disabling injury when the rope came under tension. This rescue was covered by television news and is used widely in rescue training.
SOURCE: Newspaper Clippings; Rescue III Training Video
ANALYSIS: This was a horrible rescue site! The police, wearing street shoes, could barely keep their footing on the wet, sloping concrete banks. The officer who wrapped the line around his arm made a terrible mistake and is badly injured as a result. Rescuers should never wrap a rope around a part of their body, since when the line comes under tension the resulting pressure can cause serious injury. A positive result: the development of the "Arroyo Rescue Curtain" by Sandia Laboratories. The rope, set at an angle to the current, reduces strain on the system by 75% while helping victims to hold on and work their way to shore. (CW)
