LORAIN, Ohio — The U.S. Coast Guard National Ice Rescue School was in session in Lorain this week.
“I get that itch when there’s something I haven’t done…” said Coast Guard Station Marble Steven White.
Senior personnel from the Great Lakes region brushed up on policy and procedure in the classroom, then jumped into action on the water.
“It takes a special person to be willing to jump into 33-degree water in the middle of January, for sure,” Ice Rescue Program Manager Anthony Popiel said.
Popiel said the rescuers have to be ready no matter the weather, water condition, water temperature or anything else.
“The key is training, right? The key is training, the repetition, until it’s second nature and so, when they’re on the ice, they know exactly what to do and how to do it,” he said.
That's why the class is crucial for all involved. White told News 5's Rober Powers a person in frigid water has about 10 minutes of meaningful use of their limbs, meaning there's no time to not know what to do.
The coast guard has one shot, and the crew must be ready for whatever comes outside because of what's inside.
“It’s not really something that they’ve learned. The people that sign-up for the Coast Guard, they’re that type of person already,” White said.
