Accompanied descent rescue with the RIG and I’D descenders
The situation of an injured person suspended in a harness requires immediate attention, for example by evacuating them via an accompanied descent carried out by their partner.
Warnings
- Carefully read the Instructions for Use used in this technical advice before consulting the advice itself. You must have already read and understood the information in the Instructions for Use to be able to understand this supplementary information.
- Mastering these techniques requires specific training. Work with a professional to confirm your ability to perform these techniques safely and independently before attempting them unsupervised.
- We provide examples of techniques related to your activity. There may be others that we do not describe here.
This rescue situation is an exceptional case, where the use of single-person equipment for belaying or backing up more than one person is necessary due to the urgency of the situation.
The RIG and I’D descenders can be used to control a two-person descent. For adequate control, the rope must pass through a braking carabiner and the descent speed must be moderate: see the Instructions for Use for the RIG, I’D S and I’D L.
The rescuer transfers the victim’s weight to the rescuer’s descender, then controls the tandem descent. The worker must be trained and practiced in this type of rescue.
Example of a technique for transferring the victim’s weight:
Victim suspended on their descender.
Reach your partner, and establish a first connection with a long lanyard (an adjustable lanyard can later be used to shorten this connection).
Attach the sternal point of your partner’s harness to your descender’s connector. This way, their weight will be on your descender, but not on your harness.
Operate your partner’s descender to slacken their progression rope and transfer their weight to your descender.
Once their ropes are slackened, verify you have two connections to your partner (your descender + your lanyard), then disconnect them from their progression and fall-arrest ropes.
Pass the brake side of your descender’s rope through a braking carabiner and carry out the accompanied descent.
