Team had just finished training when a boater asked for help
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Indianapolis firefighter crews have helped a woman who was boating recover her prosthetic leg that fell into the water.
Fire officials said crews were finishing a training exercise on Geist Reservoir when a woman lost the leg while spending the day on her family’s anchored pontoon boat.
“Without hesitation, the crew gathered their dive equipment from the rescue truck and hopped into DNR’s boat,” Indianapolis Fire Department Battalion Chief Rita Reith said in a statement. “With help from the owner of the leg, the crew was able to assess a general last known location and begin the search.”
The crews spent about an hour minutes looking for the leg valued at $20,000 in “zero visibility,” finding numerous other items including sunglasses and an anchor. The leg was found 20 feet under water about 100 yards off the shore.
Statement from the Indianapolis Fire Department,
“After a 2 hour pre-planned top water, boat training exercise, on Geist Reservoir this afternoon, IFD Tactical Team 7 was back at the dock, putting their boats on the trailer, when officers from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) approached them and asked for assistance. A female boater (40’s), was enjoying the day on her family’s anchored, pontoon boat, when she accidentally lost her titanium/carbon fiber leg, valued at $20,000 in an area of Geist known as “Family Cove.”
“Without hesitation, the crew gathered their dive equipment from the Rescue truck and hopped into DNR’s boat. With help from the owner of the leg, the crew was able to assess a general “last known location” and begin the search. The IFD dive team and tenders conducted a boat based dive and when subsurface, utilized a sweep pattern. Each of the 3 divers spent about 20 minutes, in zero visibility, attempting to locate the lost leg. They were successful in locating sunglasses, an anchor and multiple beer bottles, which in zero visibility felt like it could be the leg – to no avail. After an hour, the divers and DNR were about ready to call off the search. However, on the final pass for the 3rd diver, the leg was located 20 feet down, about 100 yards off shore.”
“All smiles for both the firefighters, DNR officers and the very grateful family, who despite the potential loss of a very valuable item, maintained a sense of humor and were extremely helpful by staying on scene and near the last known location.”
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