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Preparing for when hell freezes over

| 27 Feb 2014 | 02:28
    Pine Island First Assistant Fire Chief Peter Vutianitis directs a simulated ice rescue drill as two firefighters are pulled off the ice with ropes on a pond at Pine Island Turf Nursery on Sunday morning, Feb. 23.
    Pine Island First Assistant Fire Chief Peter Vutianitis directs a simulated ice rescue drill as two firefighters are pulled off the ice with ropes on a pond at Pine Island Turf Nursery on Sunday morning, Feb. 23.
    Pine Island firefighters standby on the shoreline while volunteers Scott Hansen (right) and Matthew Sampson use chain saws to cut a hole in the 16-inch deep ice to simulate someone falling through the ice.
    Pine Island firefighters standby on the shoreline while volunteers Scott Hansen (right) and Matthew Sampson use chain saws to cut a hole in the 16-inch deep ice to simulate someone falling through the ice.
    Pine Island firemen Scott Hansen (left) and Matthew Sampson (right) get ready to be pulled to shore by fireman with rescue ropes during a drill at the Pine Island Turf Nursery on Sunday morning February 23, 2014.
    Pine Island firemen Scott Hansen (left) and Matthew Sampson (right) get ready to be pulled to shore by fireman with rescue ropes during a drill at the Pine Island Turf Nursery on Sunday morning February 23, 2014.
    In addition to learning how to rescue victims who have fallen through the ice firefighters must also train how to use hand held spikes to pull themslves far enough up on the ice where they can then roll over while wearing the buoyant wet suits as seen here with Matthew Sapson (left) assisted by Scott Hansen.
    In addition to learning how to rescue victims who have fallen through the ice firefighters must also train how to use hand held spikes to pull themslves far enough up on the ice where they can then roll over while wearing the buoyant wet suits as seen here with Matthew Sapson (left) assisted by Scott Hansen.
    Pine Island firefighters standby on the shoreline while volunteers Scott Hansen (right) and Matthew Sampson use chain saws to cut a hole in the 16-inch deep ice to simulate someone falling through the ice.
    Pine Island firefighters standby on the shoreline while volunteers Scott Hansen (right) and Matthew Sampson use chain saws to cut a hole in the 16-inch deep ice to simulate someone falling through the ice.

PINE ISLAND — Pine Island firefighters recently held an ice rescue drill at a pond near Pine Island Turf Nursery.

Under the direction of First Assistant Fire Chief Peter Vutianitis, firefighters donned bright red buoyant wet suits and crawled across the ice with rescue ropes in order to save a victim who had simulated falling through the ice.

Volunteer Scott Hansen acted out the part of the victim and reported no problem remaining submerged in the icy water for more than an hour while the drill took place.

When firefighters arrive on the scene of an ice rescue they first try to throw a rope bag from shore to the victim, hoping to use that rescue rope to pull the victim out of the water and then to shore.

This would alleviate the danger of rescue workers having to walk on the ice.

If that fails firefighters must then bring a rescue rope to the victim by crawling across the ice. Once they reach the spot where the victim fell through, they drop into the frigid waters and wrap a rescue rope around the victim.

Both firefighter and victim are then pulled to shore by a team of firefighters, who are required to wear life vests in the event they fall into the water.

Photos and story by Robert G. Breese