Open Water Rescue Program Aims to Save Lives

WILDWOOD — On June 26 members of the Wildwood Police Department, New Jersey State Police, Coast Guard, Wildwood and North Wildwood Fire Departments responded to Schellenger Avenue and the beach to assist with the report of a male victim stranded in open water and being carried away from the shoreline.
Emergency responders entered the water utilizing a line reel, an ocean rescue can and personal protection equipment from their patrol vehicles, as one member assumed incident command.
The lead swimmer reached the victim in distress and signaled to the six other responders supporting the line to start pulling them in to shore.
It was all part of the operations training scenario in the Open Water Rescue Program’s course, but the situation has become all too real.
“The number of water rescues that occur after lifeguards have gone home for the day have been increasing,” said Ed Schneider, a lieutenant with the Wildwood Beach Patrol who was at the water’s edge instructing the group making another run into the ocean. “All too often police and fire personnel have to respond. The program shows those personnel that aren’t lifeguards what they are capable or and what their limitations are.”
The New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau in conjunction with the Wildwood Beach Patrol will conducted the Open Water Rescue school. The program is designed to train law enforcement, firefighters, EMS providers, and lifeguards in personal rescue skills as well as the rescue of victims in distress in open water and surf environments, explained Wildwood Beach Patrol Chief Lou Cirelli.
“The professionals in the beach patrol have wanted programs like this for years,” Cirelli said. “It is an outstanding program that South Jersey Lifeguard Chiefs Association is glad to be apart of.
The program is in its third year of operation with volunteers from The Wildwood Police, Wildwood Fire Department, North Wildwood Fire Department, New Jersey State Police, Coast Guard and Wildwood Beach Patrol and Longport Lifeguards.
The school is broken into three levels: awareness, operations, and technician with numerous scenarios and various lifesaving equipment at each level.
During this day of training, the group of volunteers was working through their operations training with the line reel. Schneider explained that they would also review rope throw bags, line throws, ring rescue and rescue boards.
“Each member gets a turn to practice a different role,” Schneider said as the next group of trainees suited up for their turn at a rescue scenario. “By the end of the day everyone would have played a different part.”
“It is a great way to learn how to work together, especially with a large crew and members from various departments,” he added. “ At the end of the day our main goal is to get the victim and the rescuer back safely.”
Contact Suit at: (609) 886-8600 ext. 25 or lsuit@cmcherald.com