Safety is on the mind of The Temiskaming Shores Fire Department, New Liskeard station.
They have launched a new fundraising initiative to purchase a Seal Craft specialized rescue airboat to service the Temiskaming region.
“Right now we do land-based rescue, but we are outgrowing that and we are getting more calls,” said New Liskeard Fire Department (NLFD) deputy district fire chief James Sheppard
“There was an event down in Latchford in December where sledders went through the ice and this boat would have been ideal for that to go out and reach them. We are surrounded by water here and we have reached out to various funders to help us purchase this unit and enclosed trailer,” he said.
The boat is specifically built for critical response when conditions are at their worst and where other types of vehicles cannot respond.
The fundraiser was launched after a series of incidents in which two people went through the ice on Bay Lake in Latchford and a man went missing in Temiskaming Shores.
The hovercraft-type vehicle and a trailer to transport it is estimated to cost $114,000.
It will be used for mutual aid purposes across the region to conduct safe and timely rescues under hazardous conditions.
The proposed unit is similar to an air propelled hovercraft enabling year-round operation in difficult to reach locations such as on water, in marshes, on land and in icy open water.
It moves on a cushion of air and can go anywhere in thin ice, pressure ridges, rocky riverbeds, debris filled channels and more.
The airboat is being considered a critical addition to emergency response capabilities by fire departments, EMS and police across the region.
The boat will not only improve safety for the first responders but also ensure a more secure and efficient rescue experience for those in need.
The addition of the specialty boat is expected to represent a significant advancement in regional emergency response infrastructure.
The emergency hovercraft vehicle will be housed at the New Liskeard Fire Station.
“Our community is right on the lake and everybody’s activities usually have something to do with water, its time we had a rescue vehicle.”
The NLFD station members are hosting a fundraising barbecue for the ice rescue vehicle on Saturday, June 6, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Sharma’s Your Independent Grocer in New Liskeard.