Trip Highlights
- Learning Alongside Other River Professionals
- Advanced Mechanical Advantage
- Combat Swimming & Self-Rescue
- Professional Level Scenarios
- Entrapment Extrication
- Modern Gear Kits
- Scene Management & Leadership
Professional Whitewater Rescue Training
Tailored to Professional River Guides
Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) Pro
- Season: Spring
- Minimum Age: 18
- Prerequisites: Commercial Guiding Experience and Ability to Swim
- Meeting Place: Hood River, OR
Excellent
Excellent
★★★★★
“The instruction was excellent and very in-depth. We had the opportunity to practice a wide range of skills, including swimming, ropework, and other rescues. The scenarios were realistic and gave us plenty of opportunities to apply techniques that we would actually use.”
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Douglas Wieldwald
Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) courses are designed for paddlers, guides, and outdoor enthusiasts seeking advanced skills in whitewater safety and rescue. These hands-on courses combine expert instruction with real-world scenarios, ensuring participants gain the knowledge and confidence needed to manage emergencies in dynamic river environments. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or looking to deepen your understanding of river rescue, our WRT courses offer invaluable training to enhance safety and preparedness on the water.
Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (WRT-PRO)
Prerequisites: Professional Guiding Experience
Length: 3 Days
This course is specifically tailored for experienced professional river guides looking to enhance their skills. Recreational paddlers and private boaters are encouraged to enroll in our Class III Safety & Rescue Course for training suited to their needs.
The course will include:
- Best practice guidelines
- River hydrology and hazards
- Personal equipment
- Technical and group equipment
- River running considerations
- Assessing risk
- Managing an incident
- Communication
- Whitewater swimming techniques
- Throw bag rescues
- Shallow water techniques
- Foot and body entrapments
- Knots and anchor systems
- Mechanical advantage
- Boat Pins and Wraps
- Raft Flips
Whitewater Rescue Technician Advanced (WRTA)
Prerequisites: Rescue3 WRT-PRO Training
Length: 4 Days
This course is the continuation of the WRT-PRO course listed above. It is designed for outdoor professionals working on rivers where vertical access may be required.
The course will include:
- Rescue planning and incident management
- Technical rescue equipment
- Advanced water rescue techniques
- Rope-based raising and lowering systems
- Initial search operations and management
- Night rescue operations
- Casualty care and packaging
- Low angle casualty evacuation
Meet Our Instructors
About Mark Hirst
Mark Hirst is an internationally recognized safety professional and technical rescue specialist with decades of experience in the world’s most demanding river environments. Based in Iceland and the founder of Lapin Koskikoulu (Lapland River School), Mark serves as a senior instructor for Rescue 3 Europe and is one of only a few International Rafting Federation (IRF) Instructor Trainers globally.
Mark’s expertise in technical rope-work and swiftwater physics has been honed through leading rescue workshops in Bosnia, Russia, Nepal, India, Morocco, and Iceland. His teaching philosophy focuses on a “real-world” approach moving beyond the classroom to develop the hands-on practical skills and mental grit necessary to manage complex, high-stakes rescue situations. Whether teaching whitewater or specialized ice rescue, Mark’s mission is to ensure every student leaves with the competence to act decisively in an emergency.
About Zach Collier
Zach Collier brings a unique blend of engineering precision and extensive field experience to his role as a Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Instructor. With a background in mechanical engineering from UC Davis and Stanford, Zach applies an analytical eye to the mechanics of river rescues, anchor systems, and mechanical advantage. As the owner of Northwest Rafting Company and a certified IRF Instructor, his rescue philosophy is shaped by decades of navigating technical whitewater in Siberia, Bhutan, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Bosnia, Iceland, Ecuador, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Canada and and across the United States.
Zach emphasizes the importance of proactive safety systems and the prevention mindset. Beyond the water, he advocates for professional standards through the America Outdoors Association, focusing on providing guides and private boaters with the technical tools and systematic training required to manage risk on world-class multi-day expeditions.