Less than two hours after St. Paul firefighters completed ice rescue training this month, they were called upon to put their practice into action.
A cross-country skier fell through the ice on McCarrons Lake in Roseville, and St. Paul firefighters got him to safety.
“The new firefighter who actually went in the water to effect the rescue, he said the training that day was the first time he had been in the water with the ice rescue suit doing those maneuvers,” said Tom McDonough, St. Paul deputy fire chief of training.
As St. Paul firefighters go through ice rescue training this year, they’re learning about a new way to help people. The fire department is beginning to use the ARM-LOC, a piece of equipment invented by Connie Sylvester of Duluth, Minn.