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October 2019 THE BEACON Page 9A
Water Rescue and So Much More
By Katie Ulrich
Lawrenceburg is home to a
team of little-known heroes
who regularly volunteer their
time and put themselves at
risk for the greater good. They
are the Dearborn County Water
Rescue. Based in the Emergency
Management building,
they are responsible for helping
out with all kinds of different
disasters and events, not
only in Lawrenceburg, but as
far as Fishers, Madison, Hamilton
County, and Franklin
County. These volunteers are
involved in human, vehicle,
and pet rescues, as well as
evacuations, event safety, and
evidence recovery. They also
work together with the local
police, state police, fire departments,
and the Department of
Natural Resources.
Bill Black, the captain
of water rescue and former
Emergency Management
Director, has always dedicated
himself to his work. He
previously served in the Navy
and continues to serve the
community by volunteering
with Dearborn County Water
Rescue. Mr. Black recalls
several different memorable
events that stand out from his
time with Dearborn County
Water Rescue. One particular
winter they were called out
to rescue two duck hunters.
The rescue took three days of
work, and their boat was continually
getting frozen in the
river, leaving them to break
it free of the ice. Another
memorable time was during a
briefing after a broken-down
ship rescue. The captain said,
in regards to the water rescue
team, that he, “Looked up and
saw the Navy coming.”
But perhaps the most
memorable event was during
some extreme flooding when
the team was split up all over
the county. One group was
trying to free a car that had
been swept away, while the
other was tasked with rescuing
someone’s pet bobcat and
lion. Mr. Black notes that for
all pet rescues, such as animals
on frozen ponds, or pets
stuck during flooding, owners
shouldn’t attempt a rescue
themselves. They should reach
out to Dearborn County Water
Rescue for help. However, in
the case of the bobcat and the
lion, he chuckles at the memory,
“The owner had to come
out with us for that one.”
Mr. Black shares that, while
there are some tense incidents,
he also “likes to take boats
out on the weekend to patrol
and help out.” The large-scale
rescues are not the only things
that the volunteers at Emergency
Management provide
for the community. They take
day-to-day precautions to
maintain the safety of the city
and its surrounding areas. The
This truck transports diving equipment and functions as a
changing facility for divers.
Bill Black, captain of the Dearborn County Water Rescue.
group has previously done
water safety demonstrations at
schools, where they perform
different activities at a pool
with students. A few of these
students went on to join the
Emergency Management team
after they graduated.
Part of what makes The
Dearborn County Water
Rescue team’s work possible
is the equipment they use. The
water rescue team has two
boats acquired from a Department
of Natural Resources
sale, as well as a Kevlar boat
that is essentially the equivalent
of a Navy Seal boat.
They also recently procured
a thirty-foot-long boat thanks
to a grant from the Coast
Guard. The boat was built
in Port Angeles, Washington
and features a bow door that
drops to the water level. This
design makes rescues easier
by accommodating boarding
on the water. Previously
boarding and exiting were
limited to being on a shore,
not a dock. The boat is one of
the first of its kind in the area.
The team also has a truck for
diving equipment, with space
inside for the divers to put on
equipment and prepare for the
task at hand. This truck also
features a light tower that can
be raised into the air to light
up scenes. The team is responsible
for all of the cleaning
and maintenance of vehicles.
The Dearborn County Water
Rescue team recently got Side
Scan Sonar (SSS) which allows
them to pull behind a boat and
provides almost camera-quality
imagery. This technology can
be used in evidence recovery
and is incredibly helpful in expediting
the process, allowing
them to locate and mark what
they are looking for more easily.
Funding for the SSS was
provided by a grant from the
Dearborn County Community
Foundation.
The Dearborn County Water
Rescue also received a grant
for Surface Supplied Air
Two of the vessels used in water search and rescue situations.
Bill Black inspecting equipment and ensuring that it is
ready for use in an emergency situation.
which allows the support team
above water to talk to their
divers when they are underwater.
Previously they would
have had to use line signals
between a line tender onshore
and the divers. Communication
between the two was
done via a rope and a particular
pattern of tugs on the rope.
Dearborn County Water
Rescue was founded in 1984
and has recently become
an independent, non-profit
organization with eighteen
Photos by
Katie Ulrich
volunteers currently involved.
New volunteers and donations
are always welcome.
The organization trains
volunteers in boat handling,
swift water training, evacuations,
ice rescue, and rescue
in flood situations. For more
information, contact Water
Rescue at 812-537-3971 or
visit their location at 401 W
High Street.
215 E. Broadway St, P.O. Box 513
Harrison, Ohio 45030
(513)367-4545 Fax: (513)367-4546
www.jackmanhensley.com
We believe in going beyond what is
expected to offer each family a caring
compassionate service for
an affordable price.
“Providing funerals and cremations with dignity and compassion.”
215 E. Broadway St, P.O. Box 513
Harrison, Ohio 45030
(513)367-4545 Fax: (513)367-4546
www.jackmanhensley.com
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