The Seattle Fire Department has launched a year-long pilot program that could help save more lives during water rescues using teams of highly-trained rescue swimmers.
The department held a demonstration off the shores of Alki Beach in West Seattle on Tuesday morning.
As part of the demonstration, the King County Sheriff's Office Guardian One helicopter flew overhead as a Seattle firefighter dressed in a red and black suit entered the water and swam out to someone in need of help. Within minutes, the person was pulled to shore, put on a back board, and checked out to see if they were okay.