Rescue divers stay active in training

The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue is an all volunteer division. They train year around to continuously improve their response times.

The rescue team have been dispatched to many water related emergencies, Deputy Sheriff Daniel Sperry said, “We go on a variety of rescues such as boat crashes that go into the water, plane crashes and lost people.”

Divers respond to entrapment in water, drains, fences, submerged vehicles and body retrieval. They also work in crime scene recovery.

“We have a variety of equipment that we use such as wet suits and dry suits,” Sperry said.

Sperry says they

“We swim under the ice, swim in the river, where ever there is an aquatic rescue we will jump in the water,” Sperry said.

Spring and summer are the busiest season for the rescue team.

“A lot of people are on boats. Wear your life vests, alcohol and water is a dangerous combination. A lot of our drownings involve alcohol or not wearing a life vest,” Sperry said.

The rescue team also responds to aquatic emergencies outside of Bonneville, they help nearby counties such as Bingham County and Jefferson County.