Washington County, WI – Fire Departments across Washington County are acknowledging the Washington County Tavern League for its recent donation of $21,000 for ice water rescue suits.
During a meeting Monday night Kewaskum Fire Chief Mark Groeschel expressed his appreciation to the Tavern League for the donation.
It was Thursday, November 11, 2021, at a Washington County Fire Chiefs meeting where each department received two lifesaving suits and accessory equipment.
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In attendance were members of the Tavern League, Washington County Dive Team, and Washington County Chiefs Association.
During the meeting, all the entities involved used the opportunity to thank the Washington County Tavern League for its generous donation and continued support of purchasing lifesaving equipment that could benefit any citizen in the county or surrounding companies where one of the 13 departments may respond.
The Washington County Dive Team started approximately 18 years ago after a snowmobiling accident on Big Cedar Lake that left 21-year-old Michael Mann dead from a drowning accident.
On January 21, 2003, Michael and his friend fell through the ice while test-driving a snowmobile. At the time, the closest dive team took more than two hours to arrive on the scene. Three months after the accident the County Board approved startup funding for the Dive Team that consisted of members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department and several Fire Departments across Washington County.
The Washington County Dive Association was spearheaded by the Mann Family as a fundraising organization to keep the dive team going.
The Washington County Tavern League has been supporting the Washington County Dive Team for over 10 years.
In 2018, it donated over $6500 for a Water Rescue Raft that assists in water, ice, and remote snow accidents where people need to be towed from their emergency.
As recent as the winter of December 2020 the dive team used its Water Rescue Raft to assist in the rescue of a victim clinging to the ice on Pike Lake.
All 13 fire departments across Washington County will be given two suits with support equipment to initiate a cold-water rescue for victims who are not submerged. The suits can be used year-round for any water rescues.
Rescuers who arrive on the scene prior to the victim being submerged in the water use these suits.
The suit is designed to be buoyant enough to keep the rescuer and victim above water if needed. In open water, they can assist with marking search points for the dive team, serving as human buoys acting as points of reference.
Although some departments may already have these suits, some may only have one, or none at all.
For safety reasons each department should have a minimum of two; one rescuer and one for a backup person for the rescuer.