Deputy Boat School furthers boat and water safety across state

Cook County Sheriff’s deputies Andrew Hayes and Jamie Green (L) were happy to complete the rigorous Deputy Boat School program administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at Camp Ripley. Photo courtesy of Valerie Marasco

Cook County Sheriff ’s Office Deputies Andrew Hayes and Jamie Green recently attended Deputy Boat School led by the Minnesota DNR at Camp Ripley along with approximately 40 deputies from across the state and participated in the four-day training, which focused on: . Boat accident investigations . Body recoveries in water . Water medical emergencies . Boat- and water-related noise enforcement (boat motors) . Boating while intoxicated— Deputies Green and Hayes are both now certified in enforcing Boating While Intoxicated citations (BWIs) on the water. . Boat theft investigations. . Aquatic Invasive Species enforcement.

This program is a great opportunity for law enforcement agencies to partner with the DNR to further efforts in boat and water safety across the state.

Deputy Boat School also provided practical exercises on the water including approaching boats, tactical maneuvers and efficiently backing/ docking. During the final day of the training, participants practiced escaping a vehicle that had rolled into the water, defensive tactics in the water, and treading water in snowmobile suits/coats, etc., in the pool.

When asked about the experience Deputy Andrew Hayes stated, “The biggest takeaway for me was how to administer first aid to victims of a boating accident and investigating boating related accidents. The most surprising thing was understanding how to stay calm and how to escape a vehicle that has gone into the water.”