When about 50 fire and rescue personnel from Baltimore and Harford counties gathered for a cold-water rescue training session at a Churchville pond Saturday, the water was just that — cold.
“Some years we have ice there, six inches thick, and we have to use a chainsaw to cut through it,” said Rhonda Hinch, an assistant chief with the Level Volunteer Fire Company.
Hinch said the water is slushy some years and just cold during others — like Saturday, when air temperatures were in the low 30s. For much of last week temperatures reached into the 50s, even 60s some days.
The training, which has been an annual event in Harford County for about 15 years, was hosted by Level. It is an opportunity for members of local fire companies and Harford County Special Operations rescue crews to train together — free of charge — on rescuing people trapped in cold or frozen water.