Cliff Talbott, lifeguard two with the Manatee County Beach Patrol Division, demonstrates for Longboat Key Fire Rescue officers how to make a controlled dive into the water while conducting a marine rescue. The beach patrol led a multi-department training on Sept. 24 off Coquina Beach.
Photo by Dana Kampa
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Longboat Key Fire Rescue officers dove in headfirst while upping their water-based rescue training with the Manatee County Beach Patrol Division. Well, not exactly headfirst.
Capt. Marshall Greene, Lt. David Synder and lifeguard Cliff Talbott coached first responders on their marine rescue techniques. They started by teaching officers to jump in while keeping their heads above water, shaving off precious seconds otherwise spent reorienting after the jump.
They explained that time is of the essence in many marine rescues. Officers participated in a three-day training starting Sept. 23, training on both the gulfside and bayside near Coquina Beach.
Members of Longboat Key Fire Rescue, including firefighter/paramedic Brian Kolesa, practiced their marine-based rescue training with lifeguard Cliff Talbott on Sept. 24 on Coquina Beach.
Photo by Dana Kampa
The beach patrol fleet includes a boat and several jet skis, essential equipment for quickly responding to those in distress.
Snyder said the jet skis have the merit of speed, reaching 70 mph under the right conditions. However, the boat gives responders the advantage of getting to work on a patient right away, be it implementing CPR or slowing a bleeding wound.
The beach patrol needs to stay on top of training, especially considering Snyder estimated responders have answered approximately 300 calls so far this year. Earlier this month, a swimmer died from drowning off Bean Point on Anna Maria Island.
Lieutenant Jose Garcia Santos and lifeguard EMT Jack Bratcher taught Longboat Key Fire Rescue responders about jet ski-based rescues on Sept. 24 on Coquina Beach. Assisting them from the shore were Lts. Michael Patterson and JC Rapier.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Besides their diving techniques, officers practiced strapping a distressed swimmer to a floatation device and getting an unconscious victim onto a boat when they may have a spinal injury.
Greene and Snyder highlighted the importance of being prepared for any situation, especially as first responders prepare for the incoming busy season.
Longboat Key Fire Rescue firefighter/paramedic Derek Flaim "rescues" Manatee County Beach Patrol Division lifeguard two, Cliff Talbott, who plays the role of an unconscious victim for a cross-department training off Coquina Beach.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Manatee County Beach Patrol Division Ltd. David Snyder, Longboat Key Fire Rescue Training Captain John Elwood and Firefighter Paramedic Andre Hoefer listen in to a safety briefing before heading out to a morning of marine rescue training on Coquina Beach.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Longboat Key Fire Rescue Firefighter Paramedic Trey Bowlin practices rescuing lifeguard Cliff Talbott, who put on a convincing performance as a swimmer in distress.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Manatee County Beach Patrol Division Ltd. David Snyder looks out over Coquina Beach on Sept. 24 during a multi-department water rescue training.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Manatee County Beach Patrol Division Capt. Marshall Greene and Ltd. David Snyder show how to properly clip in a swimmer in distress during a rescue operation.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Longboat Key Fire Rescue Firefighter Paramedic Andre Hoefer prepares for a dive during a marine training with Manatee County Beach Patrol Division experts.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Longboat Key Fire Rescue Firefighter/Paramedic Derek Flaim practices diving while keeping his head above water as part of a marine rescue training.
Photo by Dana Kampa
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Longboat Key Fire Rescue firefighter/paramedic Brian Kolesa pulls lifeguard Cliff Talbott, playing the victim, to safety for a water rescue training.
Photo by Dana Kampa
It's a team effort getting lifeguard Cliff Talbott onboard as he plays the role of an unconscious victim for a water training with Longboat Key Fire Rescue.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Longboat Key Fire Rescue firefighter/paramedic Derek Flaim dives into the waters off Coquina Beach on Sept. 24 during a three-day marine rescue training.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Manatee County Beach Patrol Division Lifeguard Cliff Talbott offers tips on handling victims in distress before hopping in the water to play the role.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Cliff Talbott, lifeguard two with the Manatee County Beach Patrol Division, puts his acting skills to the test for a training with local firefighters and paramedics.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Longboat Key Fire Rescue Firefighter/Paramedic Chase Bullock pulls lifeguard Cliff Talbott, playing the victim, from the water for a cross-department marine training on Coquina Beach.
Photo by Dana Kampa
The Manatee County Sheriff's office stopped into observe a water rescue training with Longboat Key Fire Rescue and the Manatee County Beach Patrol Division on Coquina Beach on Sept. 24.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Longboat Key Fire Rescue firefighter/paramedic Aaron Maness pulls up lifeguard Cliff Talbott from Manatee County for a cross-department training, after firefighter/paramedic Chase Bullock swam the "unconscious" swimmer to the side of the rescue boat.
Photo by Dana Kampa
Longboat Key Fire Rescue firefighter/paramedic Trey Bowlin, LKFR firefighter/paramedic Chase Bullock, Manatee County Beach Patrol Division lifeguard Cliff Talbott, MCBPD Ltd. David Snyder, LKFR firefighter/paramedic Aaron Maness, LKFR firefighter/paramedic Tyler Brunton, MCBPD Capt. Marshall Greene and LKFR Lt. Jose Rivera.
Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.
