Drowning April 23, 2008

Six PM April 23, 2008 the Smith Mountain Lake Marine Fire/Rescue starts assembling at the Smith Mountain Lake State Park Visitors Center for Fire boat operations class being taught to the Bedford County Fire Rescue Firefighter I class.  The evening begins with the SMLMF/R Chiefs and instructors setting up plans for the evening.  We have 4 of our fireboats on scene of which three of them will be used to train and transport our Firefighter I trainees.  The evening begins by dividing the 29 FFI trainees into two groups the instructional part and the actual Fireboat operations time.

During the second group of trainees being on the water our plans for the evening begin changing by the minute.  Franklin County had Notified Bedford County we have a person overboard near Navigation Marker B11.  Chief Gautier immediately notifies boat 11-1 and 11-8 to come along side his Fireboat 11-6 and load all students on board their boats.  While maneuvering the trainees from 11-6 to the other fireboats 11-7 marked en-route and were only seconds upstream of the boats transferring personnel.  Immediately 11-7 was told to now come along side and transfer their medical personal to 11-6 to free those 3 boats to begin transporting dive gear and equipment.

Fireboat 11-6 has kept Firefighter I trainee Rick Caufer , who is also a paid Paramedic with Bedford County, on board to assist with the rescue if recovery could be made within our critical time window.  Fireboat 11-6 responded with four on board 3 medical providers and two of which are Divers but had no dive gear on board with them.  Shortly after marking in route 11-6 is contacted by Deputy Division Chief Mike Pruitt with the Franklin County Department of Public Safety was arriving on scene and could see us coming in and gave us directions straight into the scene.  With no dive gear Deputy Chief Scoggins ask permission from  Chief Gautier also a Rescue Diver to free dive until our equipment arrived on scene.  DC Scoggins made a valiant attempt for a quick rescue in the 52 degree water but was unable to make a successful recovery.  Chief Gautier immediately set up command and began getting all personnel situated to begin operations. 

As Fireboats 11-1, 11-3 & 11-8 arrive on scene with 4 additional divers suited in their Dry suits EMS-Coordinator, Diana Rainville began to ready the Video Ray miniature sub to begin searching.  Three of our divers enter the water about 2 minutes after the Video Ray had begun searching as EMS Coordinator Rainville gave orders than she had located the body and began giving location info to the divers.  Our divers made the recovery and turned the victim over to Glade Hill Rescue Squad, who was on scene, and had assisted us through this operation carry equipment and tending to one firefighter who received an injury and was transported by them to Rocky Mount Hospital.

Sometimes you can not make that quick rescue and save a life, but it is almost as important to make a quick recovery for the family so they can have closure with a loss like this in their lives.

We want to thank Walter Curt for the donation of the video ray equipment and the training to assist in making such a quick recovery possible.

Jack Gautier

Chief Smith Mountain Lake Marine Vol. Fire/Rescue