Photos by Harold Alexander, 2008
Ice Rescue Training -- Step One
Cut a hole in the ice. On the day we trained, the ice was more than 30 inches thick, so strong it would not break, even under the weight of a truck. Tony Simons and Justin Whitesell of Larimer County Emergency Services kindly volunteered to make a hole for us while we were in class. They spent more than four hours cutting a hole in the ice with a chainsaw. Then we had to push the plug of ice down to get it out of the hole so we could get to the water.
Ice Rescue Training -- Step Eight
Start out on the ice. Shore Support makes verbal contact with the victim, talking to them and reassuring them while the ice rescuer begins to make their way to the victim. The ice rescuer shuffles to spread their weight out as much as possible. The day of our training, the ice was too thick to break, but we practiced as though it could break under us.
Ice Rescue Training -- Step Sixteen
Keep practicing. We'll train again in the spring, when the ice is thinner and we can practice additional methods of rescue, including the use of the ice rescue sled we purchased last year with funds donated by Kay Hood in memory of her husband Ken, a longtime member of the department, and additional funds raised by our Special Duty Responders. In the meantime, we're ready for an incident on the ice, though we hope everyone will be cautious and make all this practice unnecessary.