By MADDY VITALE
Sea Isle City Fire Chief John Mazurie stood on the department’s fire rescue boat in the city marina Sunday and recalled a time not too long ago when the firefighters rescued an elderly man.
“He was 80. It was summer, but he was shivering. His boat got stuck in low tide. He got out of the boat and tried to move it and the water came up,” Mazurie said.
By the time other emergency personnel got there, Mazurie and his crew already had the man to safety.
“It was a good feeling,” he said of the rescue.
And it was all because the department has a 26-foot fire and police rescue vessel that is equipped to rescue divers and boaters. It also fights boat fires with the capacity to pump 700 gallons of water pulled from the bay per minute, Mazurie explained.
Just recently, the fire department and the city reached an agreement in which the city paid $18,000 to refurbish the Lake Assault boat and bring it back into full working order.
Three firefighters are typically aboard. They are trained in emergency water rescues, which include knowing how to safely remove victims from the water and vessels. An EMT also goes out on the calls. Mazurie noted that the Sea Isle Police Department has also used the boat.
The rescue of the elderly man, which was a few years ago, was one of several the firefighters have made using the boat over the 12 years the city has owned it.
“We have used it for rescues and boat fires. We rescued people out of a meadow a couple of years ago,” Mazurie said.
According to the website, LakeAssault.com, the lifesaving vessel’s “hydraulic bow doors, high-capacity pumps, versatile work platforms and high-performance, quick-planing hulls reduce response times, increase performance and ensure crew safety.”
The boat is docked at the city marina year-round. And because it is in the water year-round it is exposed to harsh elements, such as storms and salt water that deteriorated the boat.
It was in need of new parts, including a case to protect the motor, Mazurie pointed out.
“We just had it refurbished. It is outside all of the time and is in a harsh environment,” he said. “But it is all refurbished now and ready to go.”
