An ice-fishing hole on frozen Lake Erie was the ideal training ground to prepare for cold water rescues for Officer Joe Turcsanyi of the Greenwich Marine Police.
On Sunday, December 7, Turcsanyi will demonstrate some of what he learned at Greenwich Point Park in Old Greenwich for the First Sunday Science at the Seaside Center event from 1:30 to 4:00 pm.
Officer Turcsanyi and his team from the Greenwich Marine Police will offer a talk and cold water rescue demonstration. Members of the Greenwich Police are trained in underwater search and rescue as well as surface and underwater ice rescue. Although water safety is important year-round, cold water can make immersion a life-threatening situation in a very short time.
The program will begin inside the Innis Arden Cottage at the park with a 30-minute talk about the challenges of water safety and rescues in winter. The officers will then go outside to demonstrate cold water rescue techniques in the waters of Long Island Sound. The public is invited to try out equipment such as throw ropes, hooks and even the special suits that rescuers need to safely perform as emergency responders.
The hands-on program, organized by the Bruce Museum and Greenwich Shellfish Commission, is free and appropriate for all ages.
For more information, contact Cynthia Ehlinger, Bruce Museum Seaside Center Manager, at 203-413-6756 or [email protected].