Tube Rescue

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In IRB racing, Tube Rescue is a competitive event that simulates the act of rescuing a patient with the use of a flexible foam rescue tube.

It consists of a driver, crewperson, and patient. In this race, two buoy's are positioned 25 metres apart in the water. The patient is placed at the buoy farthest away from the shore. The race starts in the same way as the basic rescue until the craft reaches the first buoy. On approach of the first buoy the driver will perform a complete anti-clockwise circle of the buoy. The crewperson will be ready with the lanyard of the tube looped over his body and at this point, shall disembark from the craft into the water to the right of the first buoy. The crewperson will proceed to swim towards the second buoy, trailing the rescue tube behind. On approach of the second buoy the crewperson will pull the tube and pass it to the waiting patient. The patient assists the crewperson by wrapping the tube around the front of their chest, then leaning forward so the crewperson may clip the two ends of the tube together. Once this is done, the crewperson swims around the buoy and heads back towards the first buoy and the awaiting driver and craft. The patient must now lean back and use their legs to kick the water as hard as possible to assist the crewperson in their return to the craft. Obviously this is the hardest leg of the swim for the crewperson and the more the patient assists by kicking, the lighter the drag is for the crewperson. During this time the driver will have been idling on the shore side of the first buoy awaiting the return of crewperson and patient. On their return the driver will assist the patient in getting in the boat as the tube must remain on the patients body until they are in the craft. The crewperson will climb into the craft and when both are in the boat, the driver must commence an anti-clockwise turn of the buoy before proceeding back to the shore. The finish is much the same as for the basic rescue.

The tube rescue is a true test of the crewpersons swimming fitness and strength. This race is very dynamic, as it does not always come down to the fastest craft or first team off the start line, often it is which crewperson is the stronger swimmer.