Adventures on the Green River

After everything that I got to do in my first week here at Mammoth Cave National Park, the second week had some high standards to meet. I am happy to say my second week exceeded all expectations. On my first day, I helped Ranger Johnston catalog and reorganize evidence in evidence storage. Each confiscated item was bagged in an evidence bag and was identified by an inventory number and bar code. In many ways, this process was similar to that of inventorying a museum catalog like I did at Gettysburg NMP last Summer. After helping with the reorganization, I was sent with another intern to bring an ax, splitting wedges, and a chainsaw to two rangers who were on the river.

Ranger Russell using his chainsaw on the river.
Not pictured: me getting sprayed with water and wood chips.

We met the rangers at the ferry ramp and accompanied them on their boat as they worked to cut up fallen trees on the Green River. Due to a drop in the water levels on the river several years ago, many of the trees along the river bank became unstable. Trees submerged in the river can present a safety hazard to boats and kayaks and they must be removed.

The following day I got to spend even more time on the river on boat patrol with Ranger Sanders and Ranger Russell as they finished cutting a fallen tree and installed mile markers on the river. A marker is placed on the river for every mile within the park boundary. These mile markers can help in the event of an emergency, as well as for ease of navigation on the river. A GPS unit was used to measure the mile increments, and I got to help bolt the new signs to trees along the river banks.

New mile markers awaiting placement

After helping install the new mile markers, my day took an unexpected turn as we were called in to respond to a cave rescue. Mammoth Cave offers a variety of cave tours to visitors. While guides warn visitors that these tours can be strenuous or even hazardous if you are in poor physical shape, elderly, or have health problems, there is still the need for emergency extractions. In most cases, this will not be pleasant for anyone involved. If the patient is unable to walk, he or she will typically be strapped into a stair chair and pulled or dragged down narrow, often uneven cave passageways by the emergency responders. Given the remote locations of the cave entrances as well as the fact that the patient is 300 feet underground, this process can take hours. Thankfully, in this case, the patient was able to walk out of the cave with some assistance and the rescue only took about three hours from beginning to end.

On the third day, I assisted with a car lockout in the visitor center parking lot. I had prior experience with using lockout kits, however, the car's newer security system put up a strong fight. In the half hour that we were out there, I learned quite a bit about unlocking cars and learned that an unshaded parking lot in the heat of the day is comparable in temperature to the surface of the sun. Later that day, I also finished putting together the new EMS kit, and helped cut a anchor line for the new boat.

I was lucky enough to spend the next three days sitting in on a swift water rescue course with the rest of the law enforcement rangers! We spent the first day of the training in the classroom, gaining practical information about swift water rescue and how to survive in swift water. We learned about a variety of river hazards, both natural and man-made, studied basic hydrology, watched and analyzed videos of real swift water rescue incidents, and finished the day practicing knot tying and learning to accurately throw throwbags.

On the second day of the training we took boats to one of the islands in the channel of the Green River in order to get hands on experience with swift water. We learned how to properly swim and how to properly float and navigate in a current. From there, we practiced throwing and catching ropes in swift water as well as how to tie onto a line and safely retrieve someone from the water. We also got to experience various river obstacles, and learned how to overcome them.

On the last day of our training we continued with more practical training. We learned how to paddle and operate rubber rescue boat, multiple ways to right a capsized one, and how to safely pull the rest of the crew aboard. By the end of the course, I felt I had learned a lot about swift water rescue, and perhaps just as importantly, a newfound respect for the power of moving water.