Joël Rodi: swift water rescuer in action
- sureVIVE
- May 5
- 2 min read
Swift water rescue is one of the most complex areas of modern rescue. It demands precise dispatch management, rapid decisions, and high levels of attention. Joël Rodi, who has been active with the SLRG for over 25 years, provides insight into a daily routine shaped by dynamism, responsibility, and extreme response time.
Strategy as a profession, rescue as a passion Joël Rodi is deeply rooted in the St. Gallen Rhine Valley. While his primary role is deputy chief of staff in the St. Gallen Cantonal Leadership Staff, he dedicates his free time to water rescue. As head of operations at the SLRG and an active swift water rescuer in the Fliesswasserrettung Ostschweiz, he knows both worlds: strategic planning at a desk and operational action in rushing waters.
From alert to mission
A mission usually begins with a report of a person drifting in a body of water. Whether the location is known immediately decides the tactics: a targeted rescue or an extensive search. The process is highly digitized:
Alert: Receipt at the cantonal operations centre.
Coordination: Case handover to the Rega dispatch centre.
Digital Alerting: Rescuers are called up via a specialized mobile app. They confirm their availability with the push of a button and are geolocated so that dispatch management can see immediately which forces are ready for action.
„The organization of this first phase is the key element. This is where it is decided whether the mission will be a success or a failure.“
In this phase, the coordinator determines in collaboration with the Rega dispatch centre whether the specialists deploy via a terrestrial rescue mission or – if a faster response is needed – are flown directly to the on the scene location by helicopter.
Technical precision in extraordinary situations One incident that has remained particularly vivid for Joël Rodi illustrates the technical complexity: a person was trapped between rocks in a river.
„We had to build a very elaborate construction just to reach the person. Throughout this, the safety of the rescuers was always the top priority.“
Such material-intensive interventions require not only technical know-how from the teams but also maximum concentration under physical stress.
The human side: the race against time
In swift water rescue, time is the most ruthless opponent. Often, teams deploy when a rescue has already turned into a recovery. This reality is part of the harsh daily life of rescuers. Especially taxing are incidents involving young people, such as the event involving a 14-year-old boy that still moves Joël Rodi today.
Behind the cutting-edge technology of the SLRG and the Rega, there are always people ready to take responsibility in critical moments. Joël Rodi’s insight makes it clear: success in the water is no coincidence, but the result of years of experience and perfectly coordinated teamwork.
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