I do a lot of whitewater kayaking and have been involved in swiftwater rescue training a number of times. The first lesson I learned and have tried to teach oth

I do a lot of whitewater kayaking and have been involved in swiftwater rescue training a number of times. The first lesson I learned and have tried to teach others is that most people do not want responsibility. One of the first things I teach people is that if they are the first on the scene of an incident, in almost all cases, others (even those demonstrably more experienced or qualified) will defer responsibility to the first on the scene because they want to be told what to do (just human nature). The most important thing you can do is immediately establish who is in charge, and think hard about being that person. Overcome your natural tendency to follow. The best way to do this is practice, and it's the single most important lesson you can take away from being in situations like this (or even better hearing about other people's experiences).