Willard Dive team played a key role in response to capsized boat
The Willard dive team answered the call for mutual aid at the Shelby area pond where a 24-year-old fisherman’s body was later recovered.
On Feb. 10, Willard Fire & Rescue received a call for mutual aid.
The Plymouth Fire Department was responding to a call just after 9 p.m. for a capsized boat with victims in the water of Mackey’s pond in the area of 4652 London West Rd.
Two people were found out of the water when emergency personnel arrived at the scene, however, one person was still in the water.
According to Plymouth Volunteer Fire Department Chief Richard Metzger, dive teams came from Willard, Mansfield, Ashland County and Sandusky. As the Willard dive team was responding, Willard
Fire Chief Joe Reiderman said they were going over the information they had while on the way to Shelby.
“It was a 10-acre pond. It was a large body of water for a search.” When the dive team arrives, Reiderman said they try to find out where the last known location is for someone. People were already in the water in what are called “gumby” suits.
“We had a couple of divers do what we call the full diver that were in the water,” he recalled. “Then they had a safety diver ready to go as a safety diver. So, we had people ready to go in back-to-back if they needed to.”
With a number of different departments at the scene, Reiderman said it becomes a unified command. Lt. Dustin Hamons was in charge of dive operations.
He is a member of
Willard and Sandusky fire departments. Reiderman said unified command is more of a collaboration between everybody working together for that same goal. “Everyone is working towards the common goal of the mission,” he said. “Initially, it was rescue. Then it transitioned to recovery.”
Due to the late hour and darkness, the divers had to suspend their operations for the night. Reiderman said that is a difficult call to make because no one wants to leave. “You want to stay, especially with that transition,” he explained. “That transition is always difficult for everybody.
“Obviously we came into this job to help people,” Reiderman said. “You know when it gets to that point in that transition, it’s very difficult for all parties involved.”
That night, it was dark and cold. The water was just above freezing offering challenges of their own to the divers. “The divers were in dry suits,” Reiderman explained. “It’s always challenging with cold weather dives. When you are in the water doing your thing, it’s one thing, especially if you are in a dry suit. Then you come out, and it’s instant cold.”
Reiderman said Willard Fire & Rescue has had great support with the dive team and the whole department from the city and from the county. Their response to requests for equipment and training has been positive on a number of levels.
“The county has been very good over the last couple of years,” he pointed out, “of realizing that we need to support this operation because of just this. There’s a select few people that do this (dive team) anymore. We are in the transition to a county-wide team.” After an incident like last Saturday night, Reiderman said they sit down and talk about what happened. They will look at the operation portion of it.
“In this case, I think everyone did down the line what we needed to,” he pointed out. “We had a great group for the whole thing with all the departments that came in. There were some senior guys.” Reiderman said there are already plans for additional training this summer that will combine the efforts of other dive teams with Willard’s divers so they all become familiar with each other. Reiderman said one thing he learned was that Willard Fire & Rescue has a good support group around this area.
That went as far to include businesses bringing food and water in for the rescue personnel. “You need to have that mutual aid,” he noted.”
The person who died in the pond was later identified as Zack Willis of Richland County. His body was recovered Feb. 11.