My son, who is in the Paramedic's Academy in Fairbanks, Alaska, asked if I wanted to go in the water with the Para med class? They were learning ice water rescue in the Chena River, and there was plenty of ice and water to go around. Stuart, his wife Jamie, and I are all certified Dry Suit Divers, and I had finished my "Rescue Diver" course which completed my requirements for a "Master Diver" status. So I was tickled to put on an Exposure Suit and do what I could to assist.
Captain Ben just wanted someone who was comfortable in ice water to be a second set of eyes during the training. So, I suited up and, with the class, headed for the river. I stayed down stream with a throw bag, a rescue rope in a bag. I also got to test some ice shelves to see if they would hold my weight and check the depth of the water in spots. It was so cool - no pun intended.
The best part came at the end when the class was lined up on the ice shelf and Captain Ben was addressing the class. I was behind him, off his left shoulder, and kneeling in the river listening as the water flowed around me. My son stepped out into the water and knelt beside me, and together we listened to the Captain.
It was a great day, and we got to get wet!
1 comments:
That sure sounds cold. Any water cooler than what I use in the shower is too cold to suite me. We have the "polar bear club" in the Harrisburg area. They take a dip in the Susquehanna the first day of February. Maybe I will think about joining them next year. (I have eleven months to forget the idea.)
Have a great day tomorrow!
Steve Tourville
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