Four members of the Merritt Fire Rescue Department swam in Nicola Lake Wednesday in a bold effort to learn about ice rescue.
A member of the B.C. Ministry of Environment, other firefighters and consultants joined the crew from as far away as Washington state for a course designed to teach how to safely pull people from frigid waters.
“Most of the people who fall through the ice are chasing after a pet,” said Craig Gerrard, course instructor from Raven Rescue in Smithers. “We also get a lot who fall through while riding a snowmobile.”
The group spent two days on Nicola Lake, using equipment such as hooks, ropes and harnesses to practice rescuing.
Gerrard teaches techniques such as mechanical advantage, which uses the ice to leverage the rescuer from a rope. A screw is turned into the ice and then a rope is secured to the screw, with the other end attached to the rescuer. From there, the rescuer can access the person who is trapped by sliding along the ice and pulling them to safety.
Peter Johnson, a biologist from Washington state, travelled to Merritt specifically for the course.
“At first I was a bit worried about being in the ice,” he said. “But now that I’ve gone through the process, I feel a lot more comfortable about it.”
Johnson requires a certificate in ice rescue so he can travel to northern Alberta to study fish dynamics and the affects of the Alberta oilsands on aquatic life.
He will conduct his study for LGL Ltd. at the Athabasca River.
“I will need to go into the icy water to catch the fish and study them,” he said, noting the oilsands requires the use of an abundance of water.
“This drains the water from places like the Athabasca River and we are investigating any affect that has on the fish.”
The company he works for was hired by non-profit environmental group Cumulative Environmental Management Association.
Codee Bowes, who was rescuing Johnson during training, is a firefighter from Horsefly, B.C.
She is a part of a fleet of 16 firefighters in the small community 67 kilometers northeast of Williams Lake.
“This is the second time I’ve done this training,” she said. “I love it. It’s something that firefighters can really benefit from.”
Raven also teaches about swift water rescue, boat rescue and rope rescue. The company sends a representative from Raven each year to conduct the course. Students are given an ice rescue certificate after completion.
