01-05-2025
U.S. Coast Guard and Escambia County first responders conduct mass rescue operation exercise
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — Preparing for the worst — a mass rescue operation exercise was conducted on board NAS Pensacola Thursday, simulating a crash between a charter boat and a ferry in the Pensacola Pass.
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'Think a lot of people in the water at once. How do we all coordinate and get on scene and get as many people out of the water as we can as quickly as possible,' Lt. Cmdr. Mike Francis, Search and Rescue Mission coordinator at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Mobile said.
Local first responders and the United States Coast Guard worked together to recover victims and get them the care they may need.
'The ability for us to multiply our force on the water is critical. Especially in a situation where you've got you know ten people in the water, 20 people in the water,' Francis said.
While Thursday it was mannequins rescued from the water, it's a scenario that could become real at any moment.
'When you come out here on a weekend and you see the number of boats that are in the water, you just know that it's not a matter of if it's just a matter of when and being able to have these drills and work with these other agencies that just allows us to work better,' Steve Boothe, battalion chief for Escambia County Fire Rescue said.
As first responders train to respond as quickly and effectively as possible, there's a few things boaters can do to prepare for an emergency too.
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'Please wear a life jacket. Please have a PLB or an EPIRB if you can. Please utilize a kill switch if you're alone and have a way to talk to us,' Francis said.
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