Team 300 takes swift action in flood-related emergencies
The Butler County Water Rescue Team 300 averages around 25 dispatches a year, according to its chief, Mark Adomaitis.
Adomaitis said many of those calls are for flood rescues, including one last week when the team helped a woman on Miller Woods Trail in Slippery Rock get back to solid ground.
That emergency was caused by ice damming up Wolf Creek downstream of the victim, causing water to build up all around the trail and trap her and her two dogs on a small dry patch. This situation is not uncommon, Adomaitis said, but the woman’s reaction is what helped make the rescue a success.
“That could have been a different story if she didn't have cell service,” Adomaitis said. “Stay put and call for help. If you think you are lost, call now, don't wait until you have been out there for a long time. She was able to call her mom and describe where she was.”
Not all responses by the water rescue team go this smoothly, Adomaitis said. He said people should exercise safe practices when hiking near any waterway, and every hiker should notify at least one person as to where they are going and when they expect to be back.
If caught in a flash flood situation, Adomaitis said the key is to get to higher ground.
“Be aware of the upcoming weather. If you're not familiar with that trail, do you know a second way to get out?” Adomaitis said. “Stay away from flood waters. You don't know how deep it is or how swift it is. Head for higher ground and stay put.”
Adomaitis also said the region typically sees the most floods in the spring, so hikers should be aware around this time of year.
Because the victim did her part, alerting other she needed help, it made it easier for the water rescue team members to do their part.
Adomaitis said the response was a team effort that included volunteer fire departments and the Pine Township Engine Company, which has a water rescue branch. Fourteen members of the Butler County team helped at the scene, and used several pieces of equipment, including a UTV to drag a boat about a mile onto the trail to speed up the rescue time.
“They were able to locate her, make contact with her verbally and got over to her,” he said. “For us, it was literally walking a boat across flooded woods, crossing the stream, getting a personal flotation device on her, bringing her back, walking back through the woods.“
Adomaitis said members of the water rescue team must complete at least 67 hours of training to be a technician, and the team hosts regular refresher trainings for members.
Although the water rescue team isn’t needed with the same frequency as fire departments, Adomaitis said the members are ready to jump into action whenever an emergency includes water danger.
“It's exciting for us because we love to do this,” Adomaitis said. “If we never did another rescue again, that would be fine because everyone is safe. But that's not realistic. There always is going to be flooding.”
