Whitewater Safety: Avoiding Carabiner Entrapment Hazards

It is vital to ensure that your gear, and the way you carry it, does not create additional or avoidable hazards on the river. As an ACA-certified instructor and veteran guide, I personally know several professionals who have had very close calls involving unlocked carabiners. Non-locking carabiners are extremely dangerous if they are not carried inside a pocket or within a gear bag. For technical lines like those found in the Upper Ocoee Guidebook, gear discipline is a prerequisite for safety.

One of my friends became clipped into an unlocked carabiner when he flipped at Grumpy's Ledge (see the Middle Ocoee Rapid Index for line details). He was able to unclip himself just before running out of air. Another friend had a near-fatal close call at Godzilla and Humongous on the Upper Ocoee Olympic Course.

Fortunately, a nearby guide recognized the seriousness of the situation and intervened. I captured video of this second incident, which has since become a standard teaching aid in the swiftwater rescue circuit.

Additionally, guide belts clipped to the outside of rafts or worn loosely around your waist are significant entrapment hazards. A guide belt on the outside of a raft can easily snag a commercial guest or another boater during a swim. Understanding inherent river risks means eliminating the ones you can control through proper gear management.