Saugeen Shores firefighters took to the ice at the Port Elgin Harbour for a training exercise following the Saugeen Shores Lifesaving Club’s annual Polar Bear Dip February 19.

Hub Staff

The Saugeen Shores Fire Department (SSFD) was out on the ice at the Port Elgin Harbour February 19 on a Family Day training exercise.

Taking advantage of an opportunity as they were already dressed in their cold water gear to help out with the Saugeen Shores Lifesaving Club's annual Polar Bear Dip, firefighters climbed onto the department’s Argo, an amphibious all-terrain utility task vehicle to test vehicle’s capacity.

“They're training in a scenario that somebody might be out there in the water so they've got to bring them into the Argo and then transport them to shore,” said Saugeen Shores Fire Chief Phil Eagleson.

SSFD Captain and Fire Prevention Officer Rob Atkinson said that the Argo had been with the department for a couple of years. “If it goes through the ice, the paddles and the tracks still maintain some motion and can usually get back out,” he said.

Atkinson added that the vehicle is used for water and trail rescue. “If you're crossing a swamp or riverbed to perform a rescue it will get the supplies and the firefighters to the scene,” said Atkinson. “There's a vast number of trails in Saugeen Shores now, so snowmobile trails or anything, with the tracks you can go anywhere. A regular ATV would get stuck in snow so it's for all trail access and [water rescue] as well.”

Atkinson explained that firefighters had used the Argo in a real life situation about a month ago. A female hiker was in need of rescue and they employed the Argo and, along with the paramedics, brought the woman to safety.

He added that the harbour was a good training opportunity for the vehicle as well as the firefighters. “See what it's going to do out here and just to test it out and see where it can go,” he said.

The tracks on the Argo allow it to travel on a variety of terrains.

Saugeen Shores firefighters travelled through the cold waters at the Port Elgin Harbour in the Fire Department’s amphibious all-terrain vehicle.

The Argo’s winch was put to use after the machine had some trouble getting from the water back onto the thin ice.