River Safety - Crossing

There is some element of danger in all river crossings. Using river crossing techniques can reduce the danger but no crossing can be considered absolutely safe. When you plan to go out walking, look at the proposed route on a map to work out whether there are river crossings on that route. If you do not wish to cross rivers or are concerned about bad weather raising the river levels then pick a route that has good bridges or does not cross rivers at all.

Going On A Trip With River Crossings

If you do embark on a trip that may involve river crossings then you have three crucial decisions to make to reduce the risk from river crossing.
1. Should you cross at all?
2. Where should you cross?
3. How should you cross?

Reducing The Risk:

Should You Cross At All?

• Assess the river, is it suitable?
• What are the abilities and fitness levels of all members of your party?
• How is your group feeling, are they tired, is anyone injured or already cold?
• Do you have adequate clothing and equipment?
• Who knows about river crossing?
• Watch out for get-home-itis, this is when a group has pressures on them to make an unwise crossing, e.g. it is getting dark and it is Sunday night and everyone needs to be at school tomorrow, so we better cross.

If there are doubts about any one of these

• stay put
• turn back
• look for a better location to cross or
• it is better to spend a night out or take longer to get out than to risk drowning in a doubtful river.

Reducing The Risk:

Where should You Cross?

Look for a bridge. Often tracks have high water bridges that can be used when necessary. These (usually wire bridges) are not always obvious. It may be worth walking a bit further upstream or downstream to where the river is crossed by a bridge.

Assess The River

• Look downstream for runout hazards.
• What would happen if you were swept away?
  • Would the current carry you to safety or into further danger, e.g. rapids, trees in the water, big boulders or undercut banks?
  • Are there good entry and exit points; can you get in, can you get out, can you reverse out?

If just one of these things is a problem (e.g. if you cannot find a good exit point after looking at several sites) then do not cross.

Check Out The Riverbed Type

It is best to cross

• where the riverbed is smooth and
• where the water is smooth and flowing evenly this is often found where the river widens at the calmer area between two bends.

You should avoid crossing

• on a bend
• above a place where another stream joins the river
• where the water is dirty and cloudy
• where there are holes in the riverbed
• where there are large boulders or
• where there is strong flowing water if it is above the knee of your shortest party member.

What Is The Speed Of The River?

• Throw in a stick.
• Can you keep up with the stick by walking along the bank? If not then the river is probably not safe to cross.

Never Try To Cross A River In Flood

80% of people drowned crossing rivers were trying to cross in flood. If you notice any of the following, do not cross.

• The water is discoloured and/or surging.
• Trees or debris being carried by the current.
• The noise of boulders being rolled on the river bed by the current.
• The river is clearly above its normal size, e.g. flowing in trees or on the banks.
• Rivers below snow fields are often safe to cross early in the morning, but are unsafe later in the day when snow and ice melt can create flood-like conditions.

Reducing The Risk:

How should you Cross?

Check Your Clothing And Equipment

• Avoid loose bulky clothes.
• Wear your boots or shoes.
• Store your watch away to stop it getting wet and to avoid it getting caught up in your neighbour's pack straps or clothing (see crossing methods below).
• Try to keep the gear you are carrying in your pack/day pack dry. Make sure that it is all in plastic bags. (You should have planned this before you left on your trip.)

Crossing Methods

Even on simple crossings use the support of your party. You may feel confident to go it alone but others may appreciate or need the support.

Clothing Grasp Method

This is a good method for straightforward crossings where the river is quite shallow (knee to mid thigh) and the current is not very strong. It is ideal for day parties carrying small packs, a party of two who want to support each other or a family group wishing to cross a small stream.
Party members put their hands behind each other's backs and grasp a handful of clothing on the opposite side at hip level.
Once linked the party can move into the river as a single unit keeping the line parallel to the current.

Hip Belt Grasp Method

This is similar to the above method, but it provides for more support and a stronger link. It is suitable for deeper water (waist high).
Undo your pack chest straps and loosen shoulder straps. With hip belts done up each person inserts their arms between their neighbour's back and their pack, grasping either the hip belt or shoulder strap (low down) on the opposite side.
If a person does not have a quick release buckle on their hip belt then leave it undone and use the clothing grasp method.

For Both Methods

• keep your body side on to the current
• take small shuffling steps
• avoid clutching at boulders or logs under the water
• move diagonally downstream with the current to conserve your energy
• have a leader to control the crossing make sure that everyone can hear instructions before you get into the river
• have the strongest people at the upstream end to break the flow for the others
• have the upstream person just slightly ahead of the person next downstream and so on down the line.

If you have a larger party (eight or more) you can cross in two groups. Keep one group on the bank to assist should the crossing not go as planned.

Stop and allow everyone to warm up after the crossing. Cold water and exertion can rapidly lead to hypothermia.

What If The Crossing Does Not Go As Planned?

• Stay linked up and back up slowly out of the river.
• Do not break the link until everyone is into very shallow water.

What If Someone Breaks Off The Group And Floats Off Downstream?

• They should make their way to the nearest side using the river survival swimming technique.
• The group should either back out or finish the crossing as quickly as possible and then assist from the bank.

Other Methods Of Crossing

You may see people using logs and sticks for river crossing; the methods described in these fact sheets are more effective and have replaced these.

Ropes In Rivers

• hold people under the water
• pull people on the bank into the water
• become entangled with people preventing them from being able to swim
• become stuck on the river bed or on an obstacle pinning people in the river.

Crossing Alone

Crossing alone is hazardous and requires very good skills and practise in the individual method or crossing.

It is not recommended that you get yourself into a river crossing situation if you are alone.