Myrtle Beach FD conducts multi-agency boat and water rescue training

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — The Myrtle Beach Fire Department, Horry County Beach Patrol, North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad and Coast Guard all came together for boat and water rescue training.

Each department, on their designated sonar lined boats, helped detect a sonar dummy placed in the water by the Marina Parkway Bridge.

The team first met at the Grande Dunes Marina to discuss how they should respond in an emergency situation. With Friday’s task being rescuing the 110-pound dummy for a simulated bridge jumper.

Myrtle Beach Fire Department Division Chief Brian Mitchell said that his team has already responded to a handful of waterway emergencies. He said by each department coming together, it helps strengthen each by learning what each other does differently.

He said that waterway training differs from ocean training as patrolling differs in each location. The beaches having lifeguards is an example of something that waterways are not provided. He said when emergencies do occur, that each department will be the ones to respond in any given emergency situation.

“It can be anything from someone having a medical event on a boat, boats and watercrafts can collide and have some other incidents,” he said. “Could be swimmers in distress that get too far from the boat that we may need to come out and assist them with. Really, just like on land, anything can happen on water and we try to prepare for it to respond to it best we can.”

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Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here.

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