Disaster Rescue - Australian Emergency Manual (Natural Disaster Organization, 183 p.): CHAPTER TEN - RESCUE FROM HEIGHTS AND DEPTHS: Improvised Single Point Lowers (Figures 10:1 and 10:2)

Disaster Rescue - Australian Emergency Manual (Natural Disaster Organization, 183 p.)

CHAPTER TEN - RESCUE FROM HEIGHTS AND DEPTHS

		Rescue from Heights and Depths
		Improvised Single Point Lowers (Figures 10:1 and 10:2)
		Stretchers in Rescue
		Two-Point Vertical Suspension (Figure 10:3)
		Four-Point Horizontal Suspension (Figure 10:4)
		Ladder Hinge (Figure 10:5)
		Ladder Slide (Figure 10:6)
		Leaning Ladder (Figures 10:7 and 10:8)
		Ladder Derrick (Figures 10:9 and 10:10)
		Mechanical Descents
		The Jib (Figures 10:18 and 10:19)
		Flying Fox (Figures 10:20, 10:21 & 10:22)

Improvised Single Point Lowers (Figures 10:1 and 10:2)

10.1 The improvised methods shown in this section would only be used when, because of fire or other emergency combined with a lack of equipment, immediate evacuation of the casualty is imperative.

The techniques are normally used with a Chair knot or a stretcher and consist of taking two round turns around a sound anchor point as a belay. The rope should be paid out hand-over-hand and the rescuer must wear gloves. A more satisfactory single point lower technique, can be achieved with a mechanical descender (Para 10.11 refers).

Fig 10:1 Single point improvised lower

Fig 10:2 Single point improvised lower