PHOTO: Emergency crews on the upper Bay will soon be able to respond to those tricky shallow-water rescues more easily and safely.
The all-volunteer Susquehanna Hose Company (SHCo) in Havre de Grace just announced they’re getting a state-of-the-art airboat. It will be the department’s first vessel of this kind and the only airboat in service in the area.
SHCo, whose rescue boat covers the water from Turkey Point up the Susquehanna River, frequently responds to 911 calls in the Susquehanna Flats. These rescues are difficult at best and sometimes downright dangerous for emergency responders. SHCo Division 3 1st Lt. Charlie Jones recalls multiple incidents when duck hunters, stranded kayakers, or bass boaters find themselves stuck in the mud or unable to combat high winds. The fire department’s existing rescue boat is 35' and has become stuck on sandbars itself when attempting to rescue other boaters.