A rescue swimmer pulls a 150-pound training dummy out of Lake Stevens during a water rescue training scenario on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

A rescue swimmer pulls a 150-pound training dummy out of Lake Stevens during a water rescue training scenario on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

To prepare for summer, firefighters simulate Lake Stevens water rescue

It was a joint exercise between different fire and police agencies. Three fake victims were pulled from the water.

LAKE STEVENS — Water rescue teams in boats and wetsuits from across Snohomish County waded into Lake Stevens on Tuesday to prepare for a drowning.

In this rescue scenario, one person simulated drowning in the water near Davies Beach. Two dummies, each weighing 150 pounds, wearing dress shirts, fake hair and meant to replicate human buoyancy, were also placed in the water at different depths.

Around 10 a.m., firefighters broadcast an “emergency” over the police scanner. Three people were unaccounted for in the water — two adults and a teenager. Dozens of firefighters and police had no prior knowledge of the situation, to make it as realistic as possible, said Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue Lt. Jamal Beckham.

The Lake Stevens Police Department provided a rescue boat and a drone to assist. Firefighters stationed closest to the lake were on the scene first.

Divers from Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue, Snohomish County Fire District 4, Marysville Fire Department and and Everett Fire Department swim along the shore of Lake Stevens looking for a dummy during a water rescue training scenario on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Divers from Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue, Snohomish County Fire District 4, Marysville Fire Department and and Everett Fire Department swim along the shore of Lake Stevens looking for a dummy during a water rescue training scenario on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Swimmers from Snohomish Regional, the Marysville Fire Department, the Everett Fire Department and Snohomish County Fire District 4 searched for the simulated victims. It took an hour for Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office divers to arrive, a realistic response time considering the distance they would have to travel.

Getchell Assistant Fire Chief Jeremy Stoker also surveyed the area using a drone. Drone technology is fairly new when it comes to assisting water rescues, as law enforcement mostly uses them for securing perimeters, police said.

Beckham, who is also the swiftwater rescue coordinator for Snohomish Regional, was the “live victim” in the simulation. Within 15 minutes, firefighters spotted him and carried him out of the water. Shortly afterward, with help from one of the aerial drones, rescue swimmers recovered a dummy.

A drone with a flotation device flies over divers looking for a dummy in the water during a water rescue training scenario on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

A drone with a flotation device flies over divers looking for a dummy in the water during a water rescue training scenario on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Even in calm water, unexpectedly cold water and crowded conditions can make recreational swimming dangerous. Lake Stevens is the busiest lake in Snohomish County, and the Davies Beach area can get so crowded it’s hard to notice when someone is drowning, according to the Snohomish Regional Fire District.

“We try to do our rescue swimmer training leading up to summer, so we’re all fresh and ready,” Beckham said.

In June 2022, two boys drowned and a teenage girl was hospitalized after swimming at Davies Beach. Rescue divers pulled Malachi Bell, 12, and Zander Perry, 13, out of the water. They died at the scene. The swimming area was so crowded that no one noticed they were drowning, fire authorities said.

A diver pulls a 150-pound dummy up from the bottom of Lake Stevens during a water rescue demonstration on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

A diver pulls a 150-pound dummy up from the bottom of Lake Stevens during a water rescue demonstration on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

The rivers of Snohomish County are always colder than the lakes, because of mountain snow run-off, said Peter Mongillo, spokesperson for Snohomish Regional. On Tuesday morning, Lake Stevens was 50 degrees, still considered very cold, Mongillo said.

Fire departments practice a water rescue operation at least once a year. The training usually takes place in May, in preparation for the summer. Last year, water rescue training took place in the Skykomish River, where firefighters practiced live rescues in the swift-moving water.

Boats from multiple fire departments and law enforcement agencies participate in a water rescue training scenario on Lake Stevens on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Boats from multiple fire departments and law enforcement agencies participate in a water rescue training scenario on Lake Stevens on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Swift and calm water rescue operations are completely different, Assistant Chief Stoker said. In rapids, divers can’t be used because of the water’s visibility and speed.

Around 11:15 a.m., swimmers spotted the last dummy victim near the dock about 25 feet down in the water. Everett firefighter John Buban helped pull the 150-pound mannequin out of the water and into a rescue boat.

“It gets really tiring holding your breath for a long time,” Buban said.

John Buban from the Everett Fire Department delivers the final water rescue dummy to the dock at Davies Beach on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

John Buban from the Everett Fire Department delivers the final water rescue dummy to the dock at Davies Beach on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Four hours were set aside for the operation if necessary, but all victims were rescued within 75 minutes. At the end of the training, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Daniel Johnson said he was happy with the results of the collaborative effort, and that he wants to work with fire districts even more to ensure faster response times.

“Doing training like this, we can see what we can do and how we can assist each other out,” he said.

Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EDHJonTall.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Marysville firefighters respond to a 12-year-old boy who fell down a well Tuesday May 30, 2023 in Marysville, Washington. (Photo provided by Marysville Fire District)
Marysville firefighters save boy who fell 20 feet into well

The 12-year-old child held himself up by grabbing on to a plastic pipe while firefighters worked to save him.

Highway 9 is set to be closed in both directions for a week as construction crews build a roundabout at the intersection with Vernon Road. (Washington State Department of Transportation)
Weeklong closure coming to Highway 9 section in Lake Stevens

Travelers should expect delays or find another way from Friday to Thursday between Highway 204 and Lundeen Parkway.

Students arriving off the bus get in line to score some waffles during a free pancake and waffle breakfast at Lowell Elementary School on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
800 free pancakes at Everett’s Lowell Elementary feed the masses

The annual breakfast was started to connect the community and the school, as well as to get people to interact.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring speaks at the groundbreaking event for the I-5/SR 529 Interchange project on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
$123M project starting on Highway 529 interchange, I-5 HOV lane

A reader wondered why the highway had a lane closure despite not seeing work done. Crews were waiting on the weather.

Justin Bell was convicted earlier this month of first-degree assault for a December 2017 shooting outside a Value Village in Everett. (Caleb Hutton / Herald file)
Court: Snohomish County jurors’ opaque masks didn’t taint verdict

During the pandemic, Justin Bell, 32, went on trial for a shooting. Bell claims his right to an impartial jury was violated.

Gary Fontes uprights a tree that fell over in front of The Fontes Manor — a miniature handmade bed and breakfast — on Friday, May 12, 2023, at his home near Silver Lake in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett’s mini-Frank Lloyd Wright builds neighborhood of extra tiny homes

A tiny lighthouse, a spooky mansion and more: Gary Fontes’ miniature world of architectural wonders is one-twelfth the size of real life.

Will Steffener
Inslee appoints Steffener as Superior Court judge

Attorney Will Steffener will replace Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Janice Ellis, who is retiring in June.

News logo for use with stories about Mill Creek in Snohomish County, WA.
Police: Mill Creek man fatally stabbed wife amid financial woes

After quitting his job at Amazon, the man amassed about $50,000 in debt, triggering a discussion about finances, he told police.

Outside of the current Evergreen Recovery Centers' housing to treat opioid-dependent moms with their kids on Thursday, May 25, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
$8M in behavioral health grants to benefit children, youth, families

Snohomish County awarded one-time federal funding to five projects that will reach at least 440 new people each year.

Most Read