CANDLE LAKE, SASK. – A dozen recruits from the Western Conservation Law Enforcement Academy (WCLEA) were taken out of the classroom and put in the water Wednesday, as their life-saving skills were tested. The conservation officers in training were given a mock ice rescue scenario.
Two teams of trainees responded to a situation where a snowmobiler had fallen through the ice and become unconscious. In an attempt to pull him from the frigid water, his partner fell in afterwards.
The WCLEA recruits had to assess the situation, determine the manpower and equipment available and formulate a rescue plan.
“You definitely have to be aware of what you’re doing and your team behind you and all the tactics that you’ve learned,” said Jeff Clancy, one of the officers-in-training.
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Emergency crews have to determine whether the victim can pull themselves out (a ‘self rescue’), be pulled out (a ‘reach rescue’), thrown a rope (a ‘throw rescue’), or if a responder needs to get in the water (a ‘go rescue’).
Recruits undergo two days of classroom training before taking to the ice. Their first priority is their own personal safety, Dobko said.
Once they complete ice rescue training, recruits move on to snowmobile certification.
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