Unknown to the hundreds of boaters out along Nassau County's South Shore on July 22, an event was happening that may some day save their lives or the lives of their loved ones. On that warm, sunny Sunday morning, several dozen volunteers were on the sand and in the water at Atlantic Beach, participating in a drill of their skills and equipment usage in the not uncommon event of trouble on the water.
An officers meeting conducted by Atlantic Beach Rescue's former Chief Jonathan Kohan, the safety officer who oversaw the drill, was followed by a program that included equipment and skills instruction by Zodiac Maritime Academy and Mustang Survival instructor Brian Dalgliesh, PMI ropes' instructor Monty Keel and others.
"The drill was instructional in nature with PMI Ropes, Inc, Zodiac Maritime Academy and Mustang Survival products sponsoring specific classes from High Angle Rescue to Inflatable Rescue Craft Operations," said Atlantic Beach Rescue's Lt. Scott Zelenetz. "After the four-hour instructional portion of the drill, the water rescue teams of Atlantic Beach, FDNY, Franklin Square -Munson, Freeport, Glen Cove, Island Park, Long Beach, Merrick, Mineola Volunteer Ambulance, Oceanside, Wantagh and the Atlantic Beach Village Lifeguards drilled. The purpose of this year's drill was to foster standardization of response procedures and coordinating various assets and capabilities of the many water rescue teams in our area that would respond to a large scale water emergency in our in our area," Zelenetz said. "Then after the instructional portion of the drill a real life scenario was enacted where the participants practiced the demonstrated skills."
Atlantic Beach Rescue and the Nassau County Association of Firematic Rescue Divers hosted the Ocean Surface Water Rescue Drill, with help from sponsors Princeton Tec, Zodiac Maritime Academy, WRSI, Ryan Beck & Co., Kawasaki, DigiPhoto, PMI and NRS.
Photos by Scott Zelenetz, ABR,
John O'Connell/Herald (below)
