I read, with a high level of concern, the article (News-Times, Aug. 21) about the proposed “solution” for water rescue being passed off to John Aydelotte, a private owner of Marine Services based at Cornet Bay.
Forgive my bluntness, but are you people out of your minds?
From the technical rescue point-of-view, the various disciplines of water rescue, including boat operations, swiftwater and flood rescue, surf rescue, etc., are among the most dangerous of all technical rescue operations performed by properly trained and equipped law enforcement and fire-rescue agency water rescue teams.
I am sure that Mr. Aydelotte and the commissioners feel that this is a good solution, but please, think again. It is not just a matter of having access to boats. Proper technical rescue training, specialized equipment, and well orchestrated teamwork is also needed to give victims a fighting chance to be rescued.
Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in the United States. An average of 10 to 12 people per day drown in this country, and the pity is that many of these deaths might have been prevented if only local rescue personnel were better equipped and trained to handle water rescue operations.
I hope members of your community speak out loudly and demand that your leaders begin to take water rescue much more seriously.
I have paid a high price for the lack of commitment to this vital technical rescue discipline. My fiance lost his life trying to rescue a child who got swept away in a flood-swollen river. The local fire department had neither the training nor equipment to do anything helpful and the sheriff’s department water rescue team was too far away to respond in time.
No one would even search for my fiance’s physical remains — another huge problem that people don’t know about. Families who lose loved ones in communities that are ill prepared to manage water rescue emergencies are left with no rescues, no remains to bury, and shattered lives.
Believe me, you have the power to spare other families this awful fate and the moral responsibility to take action now.
Nancy J. Rigg,
Flood Safety Education Specialist
Camarillo, Calif.
