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Occupants Safe After Car Enters Water in Forest Lake
Several East Metro agencies were called to a lake in Forest Lake on Sunday after a vehicle went through the ice.
Forest Lake crews were called out about 3 p.m.
“The fire chief says two people were inside the car, but they managed to get out before crews got to the scene,” according to KSTP-TV.
White Bear Lake Fire and the Washington County Dive Team were called to assist Forest Lake crews.
Related:
Stillwater, St. Charles Incidents Featured in National Magazines
Two major incidents in Minnesota — a water rescue and a major commercial fire — were written up in national media publications this month.
Here in the metro, Lakeview EMS Paramedic Scott Tomek details the April 2008 water rescue response in the St. Croix River for the November issue of EMS World magazine.
Units from Stillwater fire and police departments, Lakeview EMS and the Washington County Dive Team coordinated efforts to locate and remove four occupants of vehicle that drove off land and into the river. Read how each agency played critical roles in removing the occupants from the vehicle submerged in 30 degree water.
“Preparing to do a final sweep of the vehicle, firefighter/diver Tim Bell … began to sweep the inside with his hand, he felt a leg. He pulled on it
and, to his surprise, the leg pulled back.”
Tomek shares the tactics deployed by EMS and fire crews and the lessons learned from the response.
In the November/December issue of the NFPA Journal, Stephen. G. Badger reports on the costliest fires in the U.S. for 2009. The April 2009 fire at the North Star Foods meat packing plant in St. Charles is listed in the top 10.
The fire, which destroyed the 30,000-square-foot facility, caused $50 million in damage.
According to the article, “Firefighters had trouble reaching the fire because of barriers and obstructions created by multiple ceilings and extensive piping between the ceilings.”
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