This is a position that most of us would dread getting into. Falling through the ice into bitterly cold water. But lucky for us, some Stateline fire-fighters are 'prepping' for the worst. "We're preparing ourselves for the spring thaw so in the event that we do have to out and rescue somebody, we're ready," said Mike Davenport, Assistant South Beloit Fire Chief. On Saturday, 13 South Beloit firefighters spent 8 hours getting certified in ice rescue training. In 32 degree water and a layer of ice 15 inches thick, the pricess begins with a tap to the ice to test it out.
Then the tough part begins. Down on your stomach, slithering your way to the victim played by firefighters themselves on Saturday. "It's definitely an eery feeling having your feet dangling and holding yourself in place," said Firefighter Dan Real. The rescuer places this yellow sling around the victim, then pulls them onto a sled like this one. The folks back on shore 'rope' it in to complete the process. In their day-to-day job, ice rescue calls aren't too prevalent for these firefighters. But their leaders say better safe than sorry. And firefighters like Real say they're ready for the challenege. "Just the training just helps tremendously," Real said. So we can rest assured that these guys will have our back if that dreaded position ever became reality. South Beloit firefighters do these types of drills twice a year, right now, and again in the fall as the weather starts to turn. Firefighters in other communities like Rockford and Belvidere do these drills too. Freeport firefighters recently acquired an ice rescue boat to advance their program.