Airboatcapt2
Well-known member
I saw an Airboat on the News today doing an Ice Rescue in Wisconsin.
Did anyone else see it or get the full details?
Did anyone else see it or get the full details?
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Airboat Rescue
- Thread starter Airboatcapt2
- Start date
Airboatcapt2
Well-known member
Town of Campbell firefighters dressed in cold water rescue suits work to get a man to safety near Nelson park on French Island Tuesday morning after he fell through the ice while trapping on Lake Onalaska. PETER THOMSON photo
By DAN SIMMONS | La Crosse Tribune
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Left arm clinging to his boat’s hull, a 59-year-old trapper paddled with his right arm to stay afloat in the frigid waters of Lake Onalaska after dropping through the inch-and-a-half thick ice Tuesday morning.
Four town of Campbell firefighters in red wetsuits rescued the man � later identified as James Bantle of Onalaska, Wis. � using muscle and ropes to corral him onto more stable ice and await a rescue boat.
“I kept banging on him (during the rescue), saying ‘Talk to us, talk to us,’� firefighter Jeff Nylander said. “He’d drift in and out of consciousness, said he was cold a lot, but I always reassured him we’d get him in OK.�
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service airboat piloted by Bill Thrune arrived shortly thereafter and delivered Bantle back to shore. It was just before 11 a.m., and the air was a bitter 2 degrees above zero. Bantle is believed to have been in the water for almost 45 minutes.
A nearby resident, James Lynch, happened to see Bantle fall through about 300 yards from the Nelson County Park boat launch, and called police at 10:17 a.m.
“If (Lynch) hadn’t seen him, he may not have survived,� said town of Campbell police officer Timothy Kelemen.
Bantle’s brown coveralls were encased in ice, and he lay eerily still when loaded into a waiting Tri-State ambulance on shore; a twitching left hand and slight bobs of his head, however, indicated he was alive.
He was taken to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center and immediately warmed up � his body temperature had dropped to about 90 degrees, Kelemen said.
In severe cases, hypothermia can trigger an irregular heartbeat and breathing problems, said Dr. Scott Brunk, an emergency medicine physician at Gundersen Lutheran.
Bantle was listed in fair condition Tuesday night, said hospital spokesman Chris Stauffer, and is expected to recover.
An ice fisherman at the launch said he saw Bantle take off in his green, 14-foot “pick boat� � specially designed to maneuver through ice � about 10:10 a.m., the only boat on the river that morning.
While praising the successful rescue, town of Campbell assistant fire chief Nate Melby said it shouldn’t have been necessary.
“It’s just too early (to be out on the ice),� he said.
Dan Simmons can be reached at (608)791-8217 or dsimmons@lacrossetribune.com.
DNR: Stay off the ice
By DAN SIMMONS | La Crosse Tribune
.
Left arm clinging to his boat’s hull, a 59-year-old trapper paddled with his right arm to stay afloat in the frigid waters of Lake Onalaska after dropping through the inch-and-a-half thick ice Tuesday morning.
Four town of Campbell firefighters in red wetsuits rescued the man � later identified as James Bantle of Onalaska, Wis. � using muscle and ropes to corral him onto more stable ice and await a rescue boat.
“I kept banging on him (during the rescue), saying ‘Talk to us, talk to us,’� firefighter Jeff Nylander said. “He’d drift in and out of consciousness, said he was cold a lot, but I always reassured him we’d get him in OK.�
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service airboat piloted by Bill Thrune arrived shortly thereafter and delivered Bantle back to shore. It was just before 11 a.m., and the air was a bitter 2 degrees above zero. Bantle is believed to have been in the water for almost 45 minutes.
A nearby resident, James Lynch, happened to see Bantle fall through about 300 yards from the Nelson County Park boat launch, and called police at 10:17 a.m.
“If (Lynch) hadn’t seen him, he may not have survived,� said town of Campbell police officer Timothy Kelemen.
Bantle’s brown coveralls were encased in ice, and he lay eerily still when loaded into a waiting Tri-State ambulance on shore; a twitching left hand and slight bobs of his head, however, indicated he was alive.
He was taken to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center and immediately warmed up � his body temperature had dropped to about 90 degrees, Kelemen said.
In severe cases, hypothermia can trigger an irregular heartbeat and breathing problems, said Dr. Scott Brunk, an emergency medicine physician at Gundersen Lutheran.
Bantle was listed in fair condition Tuesday night, said hospital spokesman Chris Stauffer, and is expected to recover.
An ice fisherman at the launch said he saw Bantle take off in his green, 14-foot “pick boat� � specially designed to maneuver through ice � about 10:10 a.m., the only boat on the river that morning.
While praising the successful rescue, town of Campbell assistant fire chief Nate Melby said it shouldn’t have been necessary.
“It’s just too early (to be out on the ice),� he said.
Dan Simmons can be reached at (608)791-8217 or dsimmons@lacrossetribune.com.
DNR: Stay off the ice
A
Anonymous
Guest
Remind me to tell y'all how 'open heart surgery' is performed in Siberia, sometime. True story.
Ken
Ken
I have been contacted By Texas Equasearch to help in as Search this weekend in Ocilla GA there is a school teacher been missing down there for six weeks and there is a small river and swamp down there that they have been unable to search with there john boats so I guess it is Airboat to the Rescue again, I guess folks are starting to figure out that Airboats can do things that no other type of rescue equipment can do I think they are starting to see the Light.I will let every one know how it goes this weekend.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Sniper,Sniper":i5bpxl87 said:
Great job over the weekend! A job well done!
The recognition of airboats for more than frog gigging and gator hunting is increasing rapidly.
There will no doubt be far more opportunities for public service minded airboaters to get involved in community service. We have a resource that is unmatched by most other community service mind groups. The only other groups that come close are the Civil Air Patrol and the Coast Guard Auxillary.
Progress continues to be made in developing a trained and organized search and rescue group within the Florida Airboat Association.
Keep up the good work!
The FAA continues to work closely with Texas EquuSearch for future deployments and is in the process of developing a data base of interested persons.
For those interested in participating in similar events and being involved in search and rescue operations, contact the Florida Airboat Assocition via email thru the FAA website at: http://www.flairboat.com or Florida_Airboat_Assoc@usa.com
WaterLizard 8)