Wrangling the rapids: Behind the scenes with Pierce County Swiftwater Rescue Team

PIERCE COUNTY -- They are called on dozens of times a year when it's a life or death, and I was with the Pierce County Swiftwater Rescue Team for their biggest training event of the year. This team has seen it all. “We had a female. It was right at this spot that we were at. Inner tubers were throwing a female a beer. She had too much to drink. She missed the beer. She went in after the beer, and even though the water doesn’t look like it’s moving fast, it’s cold. She lost her footing, and once she lost her footing, the river’s taking you,” recalls Deputy J Sousley with the Pierce County Swiftwater Rescue team. They are called on dozens of times a year so their training is vital. Sousley adds, “Our safety is paramount. It doesn’t make sense to jump in the river and have a second victim."

And part of the training drills are to identify things like log jams that could bring serious issues during a rescue. “Sometimes people get pushed underneath, and they’re lucky there’s nothing there. But if there’s a branch or something and your shoelace gets caught on it, that’s going to keep you underwater, and there’s not a darn thing that you’re going to be able to do,” Sousley says. But for most people, the biggest danger is the water itself. Sousley warns, “This time of year, especially on this river, it’s going to be fisherman typically. With the rains coming, the fisherman will come out in the morning and they’ll cross the river.” Water can be dangerous and deceptive. For it to be considered swiftwater, it only has to be moving 1.5 miles an hour. “Folks need to be smart. They need to respect the water. If you’re by the water, within ten feet , that’s when most injuries happen. Wear a life jacket” Sousley explains. “It's terrible when you have to tell a dad after you’ve looked for his kid all night that, ‘Sorry, we’re done looking’ and it’s not looking good for your son or daughter.” It’s the hardest part of a job designed to save lives. But for those they do rescue, it makes all of their training worth while. Sousley jokes, “They make us feel like we’re firefighters.”