Alton Fire Department Marine One, training continue to pay dividends

ALTON - The importance of Alton Fire Department Marine One was shown once again with a dramatic rescue recently at the Mel Price Locks and Dam.

A person on a jet ski lost control and was swept through the Locks and Dam to the other side in this particular incident. The person was wearing a life jacket, which in part, probably helped save his life along with the assistance of the Alton Fire Department and Lock and Dam personnel.

Alton Deputy Fire Chief Mark Harris said there have been many other cases where Marine One was the key in preserving a life in water incidents.

“He was a very lucky man with the assistance of the Lock and Dam personnel and our department,” Harris said of the person involved in the jet ski accident. “The lock master had lock open to get downstream as quickly as he could to be able to get him and bring back in. Marine One has been a fantastic asset to the department.”

The Alton Fire Department does constant training with Marine One, so the firefighters know how to handle dangerous water situations. Again in this case, the firefighters training paid dividends.

Harris emphasized it is important for people to look at the warning signs along the river and take them seriously.

“He was in an area shouldn’t be,” Harris said of the person in the jet ski accident. “He got too close to the Lock and Dam and hit a log and it knocked him off the jet ski. The current took him toward the dam. He was pulled 17 foot under water and was lucky enough to come out on the other side.”

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