Swiftwater Rescue is a subset of technical rescue that involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes, and mechanical advantage systems often much more robust than those used in rope rescue because of the added pressure of moving water.

The main goal is to use or deflect the water’s power to assist in the rescue of the endangered person(s), as in most situations there is no easy way to overcome the power of the water.

A mnemonic device is used to rate comparative risk involved in different water rescues is "Reach, Throw, Row, Go, Helo", meaning: it is safest to reach to grab someone; slightly more risky to throw a line to someone; even more risky to rescue using a boat; quite risky to actually enter the water in a rescue attempt, and finally as a last resort, involving a helicopter for water rescue combines many of the hazards of the previous four 'techniques' as well as other risks unique to 'vertical' rescues or to 'live-bait' techniques using helicopeters.

In the USA, rope rescue is covered under National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1670 Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Rescue, which defines 3 levels of capability: Awareness, Operational, Technician. It is up to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to decide what level is required to operate within a technical rescue environment.