Fire Rescue News - RESCUE DIVERS TRAIN UNDER THE ICE
MAYS LANDING--Today's freezing temperatures provided perfect conditions for important training, that could one day save someone's life.
They're taking the plunge to make sure they're ready, in case someone.....Continue Reading
else does, accidentally. "If a 10 year-old fell through the ice, how does a scuba diver, who's got 200 pounds of body weight, plus another 80 pounds of gear get out there," asked Walt "Butch" Hendrick, the owner of Lifeguard Systems. Today, members of Brigantine of Hamilton Township's dive teams learned how to do just that, safely and effectively, on the partially frozen Lake Lenape. But, under the ice is where the more complicated drills were taking place, as divers learned specific techniques to search the dark and icy water. "These guys are down there working in Braille, looking for things," explained Hendrick, who's considered one of the best at training these techniques, "we have them looking for carabiners. So, if they can bring back a carabiner, a 10 year-old is like a locomotive, right?"
One at a time, the divers descend under the ice and are guided by a tender, who communicates with them through rope and hand signals. "It's definitely a team effort," said Warren Dagrosa, the leader of Hamilton Township's Rescue Dive Team, "often times, everybody wants to be the diver, but technically, the most important person is the tender, he's the one who's actually controlling the safety of the diver, and basically setting the tone for the whole operation."
The special training is paid for by the Atlantic County Office of Emergency Management, which means if there's ever an emergency of this type anywhere in the county, these are the teams that would respond. "As crazy as we are out here training now, people are just as crazy out there doing things on the ice all winter long," said Lt. Tim Daley with the Brigantine Fire Department, who's been on the city's dive team for eight years, "so we need to be ready for when that happens."
They're skills these rescuers hope they never have to use in a real scenario, but say practice makes perfect, just in case.
