Advanced Jet Ski Training-Day 1 - Indian River Bay

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Day 1 of Advanced Jet Ski Training On Saturday, 22 August 2015, “Your” Bethany Beach Fire Company participated in a multifaceted course encompassing Jet Ski rescues. This unique training is extremely advantageous to the Marine Unit members considering the volume of beach and boating tourism that floods Bethany Beach during certain periods of the year. Today’s training was conducted by Tony Hargett and Ben Selleck, Aqua 7 Rescue of Roseville, California. Shorts Marine was kind enough to provide a sophisticated Rescue Jet Ski to supplement those currently in Bethany Beach’s Fire Company inventory. Once the 4-hour block of classroom instruction was concluded at fire headquarters, the students advanced to the waters of Indian River Bay. Once all the watercraft were launched from the Indian River Marina, the exercise was conducted off Burtons Island. Along with certain rescue techniques, the students were taught how to singlehandedly attach a vessel to the Jet Ski while still underway. Considering the noticeable difference in the sizes of these two vessels, currents, waves, this is a complex exercise, but the men and women of the fire service were successful in today’s training session. Sunday’s training will be conducted at the Inlet by the jetties and on the surf on the north side of the Inlet. There will be no difficulty viewing tomorrows exercise. Initially I reported the training would be visible from the Indian River Inlet. I apologize for those unable to witness today’s training. Obviously you noticed the vast amount of vessels in the waters of Indian River Inlet and the accompanied boat traffic. The training may have hindered the free-flow of recreational and fishing boats.