If you live in King County, you live near a lot of water.
Even if you can’t see it from your house, Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish and a gazillion rivers, creeks, and streams are not too far away.
Since a lot of us like to play in the water, there is a specially-trained team of rescuers who are always ready to dive in and keep us safe.
The King County Sheriff’s Office Marine Rescue Unit wants you to know that playing in rivers can be fun, but you should:
- Learn to swim! If you already know how to swim, practice swimming in shallow water before you reach the deep water
- Wear your lifejacket even when you are in a boat
- Be prepared for COLD water
When they get an urgent call for rescue, the Marine Rescue Dive Unit gets to the scene as quickly as they can.
They have special SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) gear to keep themselves safe in the cold, dark, fast-moving water.
They also use underwater cameras, metal detectors and a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) equipped with sonar, video and a gabber jaw. Divers can even be lowered into water by helicopter into remote and hard to reach areas.
Marta is a big fan of the Marine Rescue Dive Unit and dives in whenever there’s an invitation for a boat ride with them.
River Safety Smarts 