The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
U.S. Coast Guard provides frozen water training for local fire and rescue
The Sheffield Lake Fire Department held a training exercise Jan. 17 at the boat launch on Lake Road to learn techniques of frozenwater rescue from members of the United States Coast Guard.
“Sheffield Lake Fire asked if we would come out and we’re more than happy to do it,” said John Latsko, of the Coast Guard. “We’ve gotten calls around December as well and it’s really when fire and rescue squads feel the need for instruction.”
Latsko said the training involves creating a hole in the ice to create simulated rescue scenarios.
“We have guys go out there with a pole to see if we can walk on the ice and then we create a hole at a certain point,” he said. “We will have a few rescues that we will go through with them and teach them the proper techniques.”
Latsko said they’re prepared, but it’s best to avoid going out on frozen water.
“Staying warm is the best thing,” he said. “It sounds simple, but people still come out and walk on frozen ice despite how cold and dangerous it is. You really can’t predict what parts are stable, so it’s best to avoid it
entirely if possible.”
Sheffield Lake Fire Chief Tim Card said it’s good to have a refresher course on how best to save people on a frozen lake.
“This isn’t a situation we have ever had to deal with,” he said. “But it’s always a risk being a town that’s on Lake Erie. We’ve had the Coast Guard come out before, I think in 2015 when the lake was frozen, and it’s good to reintroduce
the proper way to go about frozen rescues.”
Card said they want to be prepared if something does happen.
“We don’t want something to happen and have us not be properly prepared,” he said.
“The Coast Guard is the best at doing this and we want to learn the best techniques to implement when it comes to rescuing someone.”