SARASOTA, Fla. (SNN TV) — If you’ve been on Sarasota Bay, you may have seen Coast Guard helicopters flying around with some regularity.
The Sarasota County Fire Department works multiple times a month on joint rescue operations that they rarely do, or in some cases, never have.
“I don’t think they ever had an incident where we’ve had to extract somebody offshore to a boat to a helicopter and have them transported to a medical facility,” said Tim Dorsey, Assistant Fire Chief of Special Programs.
That’s what the Sarasota County Fire Department was doing Monday on Sarasota Bay with the U.S. Coast Guard. They did what are called “evolutions,” which is another way of saying training exercises.
“Every time that basket goes down [to the boat] and back up, it’s considered one hoist evolution,” said Scott Greer, Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class at Station Cortez.
SCFD manned their own boat, while the Coast Guard operated the helicopter above. Several times, the Coast Guard brought down a line to fire crews.
“We call that a trail line,” said Greer. “That’s to assist in guiding whatever gear or person is coming down off of that helicopter. It’s a lot easier to control what’s coming down, especially to keep it from spinning. The trail line is a real big help with that. It’s weighted at the bottom.”
Typically, you’ll see them dip the trail line in the water first to make it heavier. It makes it less likely to swing around.
But they don’t need to do it that way, which is why they also practiced going straight to the basket.
“It’s a little bit sportier, but we also have equipment on the ground, a grounding wand. It’s got a nice hooked end. We’re able to book the basket with that and guide it the last few feet as it works its way in.”
While the helicopter is above, it creates what’s called rotorwash in the water, with winds, SNN was told, that run up to 70mph.
SCFD personnel worked in turbulent conditions, but the rotorwash can be used to the Coast Guard’s advantage.
“Our helicopter pilots are extremely skilled. They can actually manipulate the boat to make the boat turn a different direction to make it easier to do what they’re trying to do or even push it along.”
Still, it’s an experience to be in the turbulence, as one of the men told SNN.
“They’re hovering in, and you can feel that wave hit you,” said one SCFD member who took part in the exercises. “Everything gets wet. I’m soaked right now; I have standing water in my boots.”
The Coast Guard who worked in Sarasota also works with municipalities anywhere from Fort Myers Beach to Tallahassee. They told SNN they’ve worked with Sarasota County Fire Department the most “by far.”