Safety and rescue

Self-rescue

Also: self-rescue

Self-rescue means getting yourself to safety after a capsize without outside help: into the boat, to the bank or into an eddy.

Packrafts make this comparatively easy: they can be flipped back quickly and climbed into from the water. Luc Mehl describes the most common pattern in fatal accidents as paddlers getting separated from their boat and partners. So: practise self-rescue, wear a PFD, stay close together as a group.

Sources and further reading

• Luc Mehl: Packrafting Fatalities

Research as of 13 Nov 2026. We have marked manufacturer information as such.