No worries…i love triggering jackasses…ha ha ha ha.
I haven’t ‘left the building,’ yet. I posted a quick response after receiving emails with some interesting comments, but felt it was in haste at the time and deleted it until I could give it more thought. I’ve seen the comment thread has continued while I was out on a weeklong kayak trip I was leading and little has changed, so here goes my response:
I guess I should not be surprised by the comments string. I do truly appreciate two things. People who took time to respond and people who used this as an opportunity to discuss a critical skill. I also appreciate a bit of tongue in cheek humor.
What I did not appreciate and what soured my respect for this forum was judgment from people who don’t know me and don’t know anything about my organization. I work my ass off and I make my living out of the cockpit of a kayak, the seat of a canoe or a pack on my back, as do my colleagues. I take my job very seriously and yes, I would rather (and 99% of the time do) spend my days working on much more important things than this, ranging from developing my own professional skills to increasing the technical and leadership skills of clients and friends.
We also live in a changing world and organizations from ACA to corporate America are asking these types of questions. I was asked to look into it and so I did. The best answer seems to be unresponsive paddler rescue, and I personally like incapacitated paddler rescue as well, because someone who needs this rescue can be unable to self rescue for a variety of reasons, including one case I know about where they simply “froze up” underwater and literally couldn’t remember what to do. Incapacitated suggests they are incapable of self rescue for a range of reasons from physical to psychological, which I think is a little different from unresponsive. Also, with a bit of humor, I think the Rescue an Incapacitated Paddler, “RIP,” was the best of the acronym versions because RIP Rescue flows easy, kind of gives a visual of ripping them out of the jaws of death, and if you don’t do it right and get them out of the bind, then maybe it’s Rest In Peace. For some reason my co-workers thought clients may not like R.I.P. as much. 
I also recognize that you’re not going to change the name of something so entrenched and if you read my original post I’m not trying to. People can keep calling it hand of god and I won’t challenge them. I simply was trying to find (or get help to remember) the official name versus something that is a sort of nickname, so that my organization could include that official name in our updated policies and program guides.
As for the other comments, I left facebook and other social media about two years ago, while also refusing to read the comments section on new articles or YouTube videos and the like. Too much distraction and too many nasty trolls waiting to pounce. I was disappointed to find some of that here. And you can mock and call me a jackass, and call my organization weak or lame, or disparaging me and them for inventing made-up issues, and make threats to avoid us should I simply follow through with your demands that I name it for you. You can sling your mud, call me an atheist or correct me for being cancel culture, PC, un-American or anything else. You can point out how much you love triggering other people. It doesn’t matter. The truth is you don’t know me or my organization. You don’t know that I have fought for the Constitution and our Country in some pretty nasty places, as have my closest friends and also several of my colleagues in our overly PC organization. You don’t know how hard we work to change the lives of people we meet from all walks of life. You don’t know these things because forums like this allow all of us to sit behind our protective veils of anonymity and say what we want, though some choose to offer help without presumption while others presume to know all. Spare us your ridicule and judgment. They are empty of thought and reflect more on you and your character than your target.
I will close by simply reiterating. Thank you to those who took time to respond in earnest. These are conversations that seem trivial, but I think it’s okay to have a conversation. You never know where it may lead. It’s just unfortunate, but probably a reality of life, that some will carry the conversation into the negative.
Best wishes for safe and happy paddling.
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I have never heard of any “official” name applied to that particular rescue technique or any “nickname” other than “hand of God”. But it has been my experience that it can be particularly difficult to execute when the paddler to be rescued completely freezes up and is sitting in the kayak bolt upright. In such a case the rescuer is trying to rotate a good portion of the paddler’s body mass, which is sticking straight out perpendicular to the axis of rotation, back upright with only their hands. Sometimes it requires two rescuers in two boats, one on either side of the capsized boat, to get the person back upright. And a completely disoriented paddler may also be prone to slash you with his or her paddle blade as you try to get them back up.
In one memorable instance, several of us were standing near the shore in a pond trying to teach club members how to roll. One fellow made a half-hearted attempt with his paddle nearly vertical as he attempted to snap up. Of course this failed and he did not make any further attempts to either roll or wet exit. Three of us tried to roll the boat back up with him in it but were unsuccessful because he had managed to spear his paddle blade into the soft bottom of the pond and was hanging onto the shaft as if his life depended on it. We were eventually able to get him to release the paddle and roll him up sputtering.
I was the first to reply to your thread and surprised I was even replying to it as I also read your opening post quite clearly and I do think this is a case of a solution searching for a problem.
We do not live in a perfect world and IMO sometimes something is simply what it is and if this rescue has become “Hand of God” in the vernacular then that is what it is.
You and your group/organization are free to name anything whatever you want and who knows it may well become the vernacular if you become wide spread and widely read, but my guess is it will remain “Hand of God” despite your efforts. Likely adding to the confusion more than solving it as now we will have people asking is the “Incapacitate Paddler Rescue” the same as “Hand of God” I was taught someplace else. That will then require an explanation that the name was changed for PC reasons as the ACA and some of cooperate America questioned the old name.
We still accept money from cooperate America with “In God we Trust” printed on it there should be no issue calling a rescue “Hand of God”
IMO this is a lot to do about nothing, and we are all still entitled to our own opinions at least for now. 
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If you served in the military, I respect that. You are the one that came on a public forum asking for an alternative name for a common rescue technique. Your organization wanted a “Woke” term for this rescue that offended no one.
You are correct about one thing. I don’t know you or want to know you. You must be ashamed of your organization or you would have named it. The “Hissy Fit” you just threw over nothing tells me all I need to know.
Greg Hester
Tuscaloosa, Al.
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OK, I have to suggest this: H.O.G. = Miracle Flip
Two kayaks will be sandwiched together.
Hey AGS feel free to share my post with anyone at the ACA or corporate America.
I just paid my annual aca dues and committee fee of $70.00
Please ACA find something meaningful to do with my money- I just volunteer so I’m truly out $70.00 and would like my money better spent than having ACA leadership worry about traditional established terminology (hand of god). Thank you for including me in your organization even though I no longer canoe much (bad knees) and just kayak. Thank you for not excluding me because I believe in God. I am an American and proud that you have it in the name of the organization.
You do not have to change the name from American Canoe Association. I’m not offended by single stickers who kneel on the river (which I’m not able to do) or upset that you include individuals that don’t live in the Americas. I do realize you are an old organization and have traditions. I’m ok with that as well. You do not have to sell Sugar Island even though I’m not likely (or most other members) to ever visit the facility.
I also noticed that nonevent memberships have doubled in price from $5 to $10. That cost is being passed on by me directly to my clinic participants.
Rather than terminology, I’m far more concerned with the rising cost structure for liability issurance for my PAC clinic. I believe that by keeping fees low, that the ACA will be more just, equitable, diverse and include more economically challenged individuals.
Peace,
Tony Daniel
West Virginia Wildwater Association PAC President
Lead Instructor for annual basic River Kayaking Clinic
National Youth Science Camp Volunteer
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OK, well I have my 214 also so, so what?
If you were really in you would understand exactly how little this silly waste of time means and the reality of the damage it is causing. Maybe it changed or was different in your service but where I was, everyone was green. If you went to a service, it was non denominational and that was OK. Since that is the proper mindset in which to view this first world wannabe problem of everyone being offended, it offends me that any org would take anything like this seriously and I am serious that I will avoid your organization and any org that prioritizes or even brings up for consideration wastes of time on this trivial BS that is being used to divide this country. So if that offends me, what are you going to change because you are going to be so woke? Or dont I matter because my offense isnt as PC as someone elses offense?
RIP is associated with the Christian death ritual, so you are not allowed to use that. It began as a prayer and requiescat in pace was on tomb stones as early as the 8th century. So while Hand of God is generic, RIP is directly associated with Christians.
Are you beginning to see the rabbit hole you are letting yourself be dragged down? Anyone can be offended by anything at any time. You know what? Thats OK. You are allowed to be offended. You really are. That isnt the same as you forcing people to use “The Holy Grasp Of Christ” or even “The non denominational lift of the pan-sexual rescuer”
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Jyak
It’s your choice. Maybe use a lower case “g” next time for the generic guy or gal or . . . spirit . . . or . . .
At some point we all may need a “Helping Hand” to “Rescue” us.
I have nothing invested in the name, and don’t care what you call it as long as you know how to do it if I ever need it. Being upset about changing the name or being upset by the name, becomes irrelevant when it comes time to preform it.
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I think some people got genuinely angry in this thread, but my atheist arse found it hilarious. I’m fine with the name of this rescue as is, but if using it hurt someone, I wouldn’t. I am gathering that even the religious are cool with it, though, right? That said, I really like the RIP suggestion.
Anyway, this thread is a good reminder that I need to learn the HOG rescue, once I have a new sea kayak. My instinct as a long time life guard is to pop out of my boat and grab the person out of theirs after pulling their skirt, but that’s not a wise approach in most conditions.
I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread that I had been practicing h.o.g. with a buddy. Today my buddy got to do an actual hand of god. He watched a guy drop his paddle in a flat pool and tip over. At first he thought he was hand rolling but quickly figured out he wasn’t and performed a hand of god. He reported that it was difficult to keep the unconscious paddler upright and that it took additional help from other paddlers to keep his head above water.
The paddler didn’t make it despite cpr and a quick evac that involved a raft where additional cpr was performed. My friend estimated that the paddler had been under the water about 20 seconds before he got his head up out of the water. A heart attack seems likely. The paddler had taken a swim before this event and perhaps that stress or exertion was a contributing factor. Let’s worry less about what we call stuff and practice the skills more. My buddy stated “we did everything we could possibly do”. So stay safe out there. I’m sure, in time, more details will be released.
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So sad to hear. Good reason to always, always wear a life vest. It surely makes it easier for a companion to help you. If your companion also need to put on a vest, critical time is wasted. Very sad but helpful post.
I just wanted to mention that Allah is the same God (Abrahamic God) and also the same in Judaism and Christianity.
In fact, Christian Arabs (Orthodox for example) use the same word “Allah” for God.
Also being a smaller female, I found that reaching over to find a useful point on a 6 ft 3 inch paddler was a fail. I could get their head out of the water but at that point needed leverage I didn’t have to complete it. Weight of person not an issue, I have managed people a good bit heavier than me. It is just that dratted reach.
I’ve had mixed results with larger paddlers and wider boats. It’s easy to slip with both people ending up in the water. As @Celia said, it’s a matter or reach.