From the ACA American Canoeist May/June 1997
Since 1977 a dedicated group of ACA members and other volunteers have provided a highly effective canoe safety patrol program on heavily boated sections of the upper Delaware River in New York and New Jersey. Patterned after the National Ski Patrol program, canoe-borne volunteers patrol sections of the upper Delaware during high usage periods, providing less experienced boaters with on-water safety training, teaching safe and effective paddling techniques, and performing river rescues and assists as necessary. The group focuses its efforts on patrolling stretches of the river adjacent to a number of sizable canoe liveries and coordinates its activities with the National Park Service which manages much of the surrounding area.
Chris Nielsen, the founder of the program and currently the vice-president of the ACA, recalls the group's formation. "During our first year, with some 65 active volunteers, we literally performed hundreds of rescues each Saturday and Sunday from mid-April throughout the season. Rescues varied from simple assistance in dislodging boats to situations which were truly life threatening... I can still remember the young boy who was pinned under water beneath two capsized canoes near the bottom of Skinner Falls and another man in his early thirties pinned under water halfway down the same rapids." According to Nielsen the effectiveness of the patrol was apparent from the beginning.
In the 20 years since its inception, the original patrol program - hence named the National Canoe Safety Patrol (NCSP) - has flourished on the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers, and now involves nearly 100 volunteers annually. Each spring the group conducts a weekend training program for patrol recruits. "The key to this program is its volunteers. We focus on recruiting capable Class II paddlers or higher, but less skilled volunteers are always welcome to assist with shuttles, communications and other jobs," says Nielsen. "Not only is this extremely rewarding work, but the time on the river gives you a terrific chance to improve your own paddling skills and have a lot of fun with other paddlers and patrol members," Nielsen added. Patrol volunteers receive training in CPR, first aid, basic rescue techniques and whitewater paddling skills, and each volunteer is required to spend at least one weekend in both May and June serving on a patrol in order to allow adequate coverage during this peak period.
Despite the long standing success of the NCSP, Nielsen and other organizers admit that their greatest frustration with the program has been the fact that paddlers in other parts of the country have not followed their lead and established similar patrols on local waterways. "We believe that there are hundreds of safety 'hot spots' around the country which could benefit dramatically from a patrol program similar to ours," says Nielsen.
But maybe Nielsen's dream will come true yet. Pockets of interest in replicating the program are starting to emerge around the country. Most recently the ACA has been working with a group of paddlers on the Potomac River who are interested in starting a safety patrol. Douglas Hutchinson, one of the group's organizers, reports "There's clearly a real need for this program on the Potomac. We're assembling a group of capable paddlers who want to help improve safety on the river and have some fun at the same time."
With financial support from Subaru of America and the Debra Skinner Memorial fund, the ACA hopes to establish new safety patrols across the country. If you would like more information on the Delaware or Potomac River programs, or if you would like to explore the possibility of starting a patrol in your area, contact the ACA Safety Education & Instruction Department.
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