Water and Ice Rescue Practice Questions

25 multiple-choice questions on Water and ice rescue for paramedic and EMT students, from Chapter 49 (Vehicle Extrication and Special Rescue). Read each question, pick your answer, then tap Show answer to check it and read the explanation.

25 practice questions

1. A conscious man is clinging to a snag 9 m (30 ft) from the bank of a slow river. You are trained in throw-bag rescue. The best throw is aimed so that:

   1. A. The rope lands across him, just past him
   2. B. The bag strikes him in the chest
   3. C. The bag lands well short of him
   4. D. The rope lands well downstream of where he is
   Show answer

   Answer: A. The rope lands across him, just past him

   Throwing slightly past and over the victim lets the rope fall across him so he can grab it, even if the throw is off a little. A bag that hits him can injure him, and a short throw forces him to swim for it.

2. A swimmer is in trouble 60 m (200 ft) offshore in a calm lake, too far to reach or throw to. Trained rescuers have a boat. The next safest option is to:

   1. A. Swim out without any flotation device
   2. B. Wade out until the water reaches chest depth
   3. C. Row out in PFDs and bring a flotation aid
   4. D. Have bystanders form a human chain
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Row out in PFDs and bring a flotation aid

   When reaching and throwing are not possible, a boat keeps rescuers out of the water while they reach the victim; swimming out ('go') is the last and most dangerous choice. Human chains in deep water put many untrained people at risk.

3. Any rescuer working within about 3 m (10 ft) of moving water should wear:

   1. A. Full firefighting turnout gear
   2. B. A Coast Guard-approved PFD
   3. C. A wet suit with no flotation
   4. D. A rope tied around the waist
   Show answer

   Answer: B. A Coast Guard-approved PFD

   Anyone who could fall in near the water's edge needs a personal flotation device. A rope tied around the waist can drag a person under in a current, and a wet suit gives warmth but little flotation.

4. Firefighting turnout gear is dangerous near swift water mainly because it:

   1. A. Floats too much and holds the wearer face down
   2. B. Causes heat stress in a rescuer on the bank
   3. C. Its boots grip poorly on wet riverbanks
   4. D. Traps water and keeps the wearer from swimming
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Traps water and keeps the wearer from swimming

   Turnout gear and boots fill with water and become heavy, making swimming nearly impossible. Water rescuers wear PFDs, helmets made for water, and thermal protection instead. Turnout gear does not add buoyancy; it fills and drags the wearer down. Heat stress and poor boot grip are lesser problems than being unable to swim.

5. Moving water only about 15 cm (6 in) deep can:

   1. A. Float and carry off a pickup
   2. B. Knock an adult off his feet
   3. C. Be crossed safely by running
   4. D. Harm children but not adults
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Knock an adult off his feet

   Moving water has great force: about 15 cm (6 in) can knock an adult down, and a little more can float a small car. Carrying off a pickup takes much deeper water than this. Running does not make the crossing safe; it adds to the chance of a fall into the current. Thinking adults are safe in shallow moving water leads to many flood deaths.

6. A man calls 9-1-1 from his car, saying he wants to drive across a flooded road where the water is moving and about 60 cm (2 ft) deep. He should be told that:

   1. A. A heavy truck can cross it if driven fast
   2. B. He is safe if he keeps the windows closed
   3. C. He can cross if he can still see the road lines
   4. D. Water this deep can sweep away most vehicles
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Water this deep can sweep away most vehicles

   About 60 cm (2 ft) of moving water can float and carry away most cars, SUVs, and pickups, which is why public safety messages say 'turn around, don't drown.' Driving fast does not stop the car from floating.

7. A low-head dam is extremely dangerous to swimmers and boaters because it:

   1. A. Has a steep, fast drop that throws them onto rocks
   2. B. Pulls them into its intake pipes and gates
   3. C. Forms a recirculating current that traps them
   4. D. Has water much colder than the river above
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Forms a recirculating current that traps them

   Water going over a low-head dam drops and curls back upstream at the base, forming a hydraulic that holds a person in a cycle of being pushed under and drawn back. It is often called a drowning machine.

8. Why do low-head dams often fool boaters, swimmers, and untrained rescuers?

   1. A. They look harmless from upstream
   2. B. They are hidden under the water
   3. C. They are found in remote areas
   4. D. They have very loud waterfalls
   Show answer

   Answer: A. They look harmless from upstream

   From upstream, a low-head dam looks like a small step or a smooth line across the river, so people underestimate it. The danger is the powerful hydraulic at its base, which is hard to see until one is in it.

9. In swift water, a strainer is:

   1. A. A calm pool of water that forms behind a large boulder
   2. B. A wave that forms where two currents meet
   3. C. An obstacle that lets water through but traps people
   4. D. A type of throw bag made for swift water
   Show answer

   Answer: C. An obstacle that lets water through but traps people

   Strainers such as fallen trees, fences, and debris piles let water flow through while pinning anyone swept into them against the obstacle. A calm pool behind a boulder is an eddy.

10. Swift-water rescuers are taught not to stand up in fast water deeper than the knees because:

    1. A. The river bottom is too soft to give them footing
    2. B. Standing makes them easier for boats to hit
    3. C. Their PFD will lose its ability to float
    4. D. A wedged foot lets the current push them under
    Show answer

    Answer: D. A wedged foot lets the current push them under

    Foot entrapment occurs when a foot wedges between rocks; the current then pushes the body over and under the water. Swimmers stay on their backs with their feet up until the water is shallow enough to stand.

11. If a rescuer is swept into swift water, the defensive swimming position is:

    1. A. On the back, feet downstream and near the surface
    2. B. On the belly, head downstream, swimming hard
    3. C. Upright, trying to stand and walk to shore
    4. D. Curled in a tight ball to protect the head and chest
    Show answer

    Answer: A. On the back, feet downstream and near the surface

    Lying on the back with feet downstream and at the surface lets the feet fend off rocks and avoids foot entrapment. Swimming head-first downstream risks striking obstacles with the head.

12. During a swift-water rescue, an upstream spotter is posted mainly to:

    1. A. Set up the rope system for the crew
    2. B. Warn of debris coming down the river
    3. C. Direct traffic away from the riverbank
    4. D. Hold the line attached to the rescuer
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Warn of debris coming down the river

    The upstream spotter watches for logs, debris, and boats that could strike the rescuers and warns them with a whistle or radio. Setting up the rope system is the job of the rope team, not a spotter who must keep watching the river. Directing traffic away from the riverbank is a perimeter task for other personnel. Holding the line attached to the rescuer is the tender's job.

13. Rescuers with throw bags are posted downstream of a swift-water rescue to:

    1. A. Mark the spot where the victim was last seen
    2. B. Catch a victim or rescuer swept past
    3. C. Keep the public away from the banks
    4. D. Light the scene for the other crews
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Catch a victim or rescuer swept past

    Downstream safety is a backup: if the victim or a rescuer is swept away, they can be caught with a throw bag or boat. Marking the spot where the victim was last seen is done by the first arriving crew or a spotter at that point, not the downstream team. Keeping the public away from the banks is a perimeter task. Lighting the scene is a support task, and throw-bag rescuers must keep watching the water.

14. A trained rescuer will enter swift water on a tether. He must wear a quick-release harness because:

    1. A. A line held taut in current can pin him underwater
    2. B. The harness gives him extra flotation in water
    3. C. The tether may tangle with the victim's limbs
    4. D. A fixed knot is too hard for him to untie in the cold
    Show answer

    Answer: A. A line held taut in current can pin him underwater

    The force of moving water on a taut line can hold a rescuer underwater, so the harness must release with one pull. A rope tied directly around a person cannot be released and is never used in moving water.

15. In a river, an eddy is useful to rescuers because it:

    1. A. Pulls a tired swimmer quickly to shore
    2. B. Marks where the water is deepest
    3. C. Shows where a strainer is hidden
    4. D. Is calmer water behind an obstacle
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Is calmer water behind an obstacle

    An eddy forms downstream of a rock or bend where the current slows or reverses, giving swimmers and boats a place to rest or exit. It does not pull anyone to shore by itself.

16. A paramedic wants to wade 30 m (100 ft) through knee-deep, moving floodwater to reach a stranded man. The main reason not to is that the water:

    1. A. Is too cold to wade in during any season
    2. B. Must be crossed while carrying a long backboard
    3. C. Can hide open manholes, debris, and live wires
    4. D. Cannot be crossed without a dry suit on
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Can hide open manholes, debris, and live wires

    Floodwater is murky and can hide missing manhole covers, sharp debris, and downed power lines, as well as sewage and chemicals, and even knee-deep moving water can knock a person down. Cold is a concern but not the main reason to stay out.

17. A car has just driven into a lake and is sinking with the driver inside. Safety advice for the driver is to:

    1. A. Unbuckle, open a window, and get out at once
    2. B. Stay belted and call 9-1-1 from inside the car
    3. C. Wait until the car fills to open the door
    4. D. Climb into the back seat and wait for help
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Unbuckle, open a window, and get out at once

    The best chance of escape is in the first minute, while the car floats: seat belt off, window open, children out, then get out. Waiting for the car to fill or calling from inside wastes the short time before the car sinks.

18. A swimmer caught in a rip current should be told to:

    1. A. Swim straight back to shore against it
    2. B. Dive to the bottom and crawl to shore
    3. C. Swim parallel to shore to get out of it
    4. D. Remove clothing to make swimming easier
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Swim parallel to shore to get out of it

    A rip current is a narrow channel flowing away from shore; swimming parallel to the beach gets out of it, after which the person can swim in. Swimming straight against it exhausts even strong swimmers.

19. A panicking swimmer is dangerous to a rescuer who swims out to him because the swimmer may:

    1. A. Swim away from the rescuer into deep water
    2. B. Become calm and stop trying to stay afloat
    3. C. Stop kicking and float calmly face up
    4. D. Climb onto the rescuer and push him under
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Climb onto the rescuer and push him under

    A drowning person instinctively grabs anything to stay up, including a rescuer, and can drown both. This is why 'go' is the last option and why trained swimmers bring flotation.

20. A trained lifeguard must swim to a conscious, panicking victim. The safest technique is to:

    1. A. Grab him from the front and tow him straight back to shore
    2. B. Push a flotation aid to him and keep it between them
    3. C. Let him hold onto the rescuer's shoulders to rest
    4. D. Dive under him and lift him up from below
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Push a flotation aid to him and keep it between them

    Extending a rescue tube or other flotation keeps the victim from grabbing the rescuer while still giving him support. Approaching from the front with no flotation invites the victim to climb on the rescuer.

21. A skater has fallen through the ice and is holding the edge. The best self-rescue advice to shout is:

    1. A. Hold still and save energy until help arrives
    2. B. Kick your legs up, slide out flat, and roll away
    3. C. Stand up and climb out the way one climbs a ladder
    4. D. Swim under the ice toward the nearest shore
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    Answer: B. Kick your legs up, slide out flat, and roll away

    Kicking brings the body horizontal so the person can slide forward onto the ice, then rolling spreads the weight until he is on stronger ice. Climbing out upright puts weight on the edge, which keeps breaking.

22. An ice rescue team member who goes out onto the ice should wear:

    1. A. Turnout gear with a helmet and leather gloves
    2. B. Warm street clothes and ice cleats
    3. C. A wet suit with no line attached
    4. D. A cold-water immersion suit and a tether
    Show answer

    Answer: D. A cold-water immersion suit and a tether

    If the ice breaks, the rescuer needs thermal protection and flotation in water and a tether so that shore crews can pull both people back. Turnout gear fills with water and does not float.

23. A trained rescuer must cross weak ice to reach a victim. Spreading his body weight is done by:

    1. A. Crawling on hands and knees across it
    2. B. Walking in large, heavy steps to test it
    3. C. Lying flat or using a ladder or board
    4. D. Shuffling with his feet set wide apart
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Lying flat or using a ladder or board

    Lying flat or moving on a ladder, board, or sled spreads the weight over a larger area so the ice is less likely to break. Walking, even with the feet apart, or crawling on hands and knees still puts the weight on a few small points.

24. New, clear ice generally needs to be at least about how thick to hold one person on foot?

    1. A. 10 cm (4 in)
    2. B. 2.5 cm (1 in)
    3. C. 5 cm (2 in)
    4. D. 30 cm (12 in)
    Show answer

    Answer: A. 10 cm (4 in)

    Common guidance is at least 10 cm (4 in) of new, clear ice for one person on foot; snow-covered, cloudy, or moving-water ice is weaker and needs more. Ice 5 cm (2 in) thick or less should be avoided.

25. While waiting for rescue in cold water wearing a PFD, a person alone should be advised to:

    1. A. Hold the knees to the chest and keep still
    2. B. Swim steadily in place to keep warm
    3. C. Take off heavy clothing so as to float better
    4. D. Swim toward a far shore before tiring
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Hold the knees to the chest and keep still

    The heat escape lessening posture (HELP), with knees drawn to the chest and arms crossed, protects high heat-loss areas and saves energy. Swimming in cold water speeds heat loss and exhaustion.