A joint swiftwater rescue training was held over the weekend with members of the Harlan City, Evarts, Sunshine, Bledsoe and Loyall fire departments participating, along with the Harlan County and Bell County rescue squads. The training took place in the river below the Martins Fork Dam with the assistance of the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers who coordinated the water flow from the dam to simulate a swiftwater situation.

“This was training that we all needed,” said Linette Hutchison, Harlan City Fire Department chief. “In the event of any kind of water related accident, such as a vehicle in the water, person falling into water or flooding, we would be ready to assist.

“We have been trying to get this training for a while. In the past, we had to travel and stay three days in other areas to receive this training. That meant that our volunteers had to come up with the money to stay, which is hard to do sometimes. With the training conducted here in Harlan, we had a tremendous turnout. We were fortunate to have had it here.”

The Harlan County Rescue Squad is often dispatched to water rescue emergencies.

“This type of training gives us the confidence to hit the swift water when we have to. We almost always have flooding in and around this area and with this training we are ready to pull our resources together to get the job done,” said Chris Allen, Capt. of the Harlan County Rescue Squad.

Hutchison advised that both Harlan and Bell County rescue squads have the necessary equipment to do swiftwater rescue. However, among all the fire departments in the county, only Loyall Fire Department has the swiftwater rescue equipment.

“We have applied for grants to receive this equipment and hopefully the money will be forthcoming because we really need this gear,” Hutchison said.

The training was a multi-department effort, according to Hutchison.

“We learned how to work together so that we are all on the same page if and when an incident occurs. This gives us a network of people to use when they are needed,” she said. “The training was great. We are all sore, it was very vigorous. The instructors, Steve Barton and Ron Pope, with the State Fire Rescue Department, gave us hands-on training, allowing us to actually experience what it is like to enter the water and conduct a rescue.”

Around five years ago a Cumberland woman had to be rescued from the raging waters of the Clover Fork of the Cumberland River after the car she was driving slid off the road and plunged into the water.

Jessica Smith was traveling west on KY 38 at Cotes when she apparently lost control of her Dodge Neon.

Smith’s car some how managed to stay upright as the current carried the vehicle underneath a bridge and downstream about 300 yards before becoming lodged against a rock.

Smith apparently had the car’s windows down and water rushed into the vehicle.

The force of the water was so strong that it lifted her from the driver’s side of the vehicle and carried her out the passenger side window.

Numerous police officers from different agencies and members of the Harlan County Rescue Squad arrived to find Smith holding on to the window frame of the car calling for help.

Rescue workers had to figure out how to get to her before she let go of the car and was swept away by the river.

Members of the rescue squad began to shoot lifeline ropes across the river, where other rescuers were waiting on the other side to secure them.

Once the ropes were secure, Allen of the rescue squad put on a life jacket and safety harness and went into the water to help Smith.

When Allen made it to the car, he grabbed Smith and placed a life jacket on her and secured it to the lifeline. Several people on the bank held the rope and were pulling Allen and Smith to the shore when Smith slipped away briefly. They were close enough to the shore that rescuers were able to grab both of them and bring them to safety.

“There is no price tag on this training because there is no price tag on human life,” Allen said.