he Siskiyou County Search and Rescue Volunteers teamed up with CAL FIRE Siskiyou Unit for a joint Swift Water Rescue Training bringing together the skills, experience, and teamwork of both agencies.
Every day, approximately ten people die from unintentional drowning in the US. Of these ten, two are children aged 14 or younger. Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of accidental death in the United States, and living in a region like Siskiyou County, such swift water incidents are all-too-common, particularly during high-water months of late spring and winter.
The most common incidents requiring the support of a swift water team in Siskiyou include kayaking accidents, rescuing passengers from submerged vehicles, and locating hikers or fishermen swept downstream. In all such cases, every minute matters. By working side-by-side in realistic scenarios, our teams strengthened communication, sharpen critical rescue techniques, and build trust—so that when real emergencies strike, we’re ready to rapidly respond as one cohesive unit.
We’d like to thank CAL FIRE and everyone who participated in this essential training and continues to put in the work to keep our communities safe.
