Safet a rime concer

IMAGINE what it’s like to be
trapped inside a vehicle as it
leaves the road, plunging into the
water:

Members of Terrace’s water
rescue team found out during an
advanced dive rescue course of-
fered here last week,

During the course two cars
were sunk in Lakelse Lake and
brought back to the surface as
team members practised recovery
techniques. "

The course, put on by Dive
Rescue International, was the
only one of its calibre offered ina
Canadian city this year,

Ten team members from Ter-
Face took part in the five-day
course, in addition to five mem-
bers of rescue teams from the rest
of Canada and the U.S,

During the vehicle recovery
portion of the course, divers
learned techniques for extracting
bodies from cars,

“It’s very complicated to
remove bodies underwater,’ ex-
plains instructor Cliff Schmidt.
“There’s zero visibility, and the
car may have been quite damaged
in the accident. Sharp metal and
broken glass presents a lot of
danger to divers."

So he teaches a method of
bringing 2 vehicle up to the sur-
face, in order that divers can
more safely bring a victim's
bodies out,

A team of two divers (four were
used in practice sessions) takes

two lift bags under water, If the .
car is flipped over on its side, or:

hood, they tum it right side up,
using the lift bags to provide the
pushing force.

Then they attach the bags to the
front and back of the car, and in-
flate them with air tanks. Two
bags can lift most light vehicles,
up to 6-seater airplanes, to the
water’s surface, where they can
be safely towed to shore,

In addition to practising with
cars, the course also covered
techniques for current diving,

Diving in rivers, searching for .

victims of accidents, or clues. to
thelr whereabouts, is dangerous
even for experienced divers.

“A person can’t swim against

more than a knot and a half of -
“team members practised both’ cur- iis
rent diving and floating’ cars to:

water,” says Schmidt. “‘And a lot
of rivers around here are probably
four knots,”’

EQUIPMENT CHECKS were mnandatory last week as. local and

out-of-town divers received instruction in underwater rescues
during an advanced course. The course was hosted by the local

To combat the current, Schmidt
showed the rescue teams how ‘to-
set up a pulley system, anchored
to secure spots on either side of
the river bank.

A boat is then booked into the -
system, so it provides a relatively ,

stable platform: Then a diver is

harnessed to the boat, and pro--.

vided with communication gear,

_ 80 he or she is in constant com-

munication with those on the sur-
face.
VAN” ‘the Terrace

the surface. The cars the teams

used had been thoroughly
Cleaned, so no pollutants entered
the lake.

Dave Jephson, president of the
Terrace. water rescue team, said
the course was very helpful in

preparing for likely accident’

scenarios in the area.

other. rescue -teams was not as
good as anticipated, the water res-.
cue team finds itself approximate-
ly $4,000 in the red. That figure

ds in addition to expense overruns os

for. the;

boat, putting the group deeper in —
‘debt.-

However, since attendance from

dive rescue team, a group that's becoming well known across

Canada for its training, preparation and activities, The course
took divers to a number of places, including Lakelse Lake.

City bags three
trash bag limit

THE THREE bag limit on city
garbage collection won’t.be en-
forced until some advanced level

‘of recycling is in place here.

‘City council adopted thie recom-
mendation ‘from city director ‘of

engineering Stew Christensen on

Monday. ;
Christensen said enforcement of

bag ‘limit just“doesn't “make

“sense if there’s* no’ reasonable

way for’ cilizens to reduce the

amount of garbage they produce,
Council has tabled the issue:un-:
til the Kitimat-Stkine -regional.

. district’s Regional ‘Solid. : Waste -

Management: Plan is complete,

That plan — aimed at Tedicing
the amount of waste going to -
regional landfills — is expected -
to outline ‘options . ‘for | Tecycling.
and could: lead to‘creation of a su-
perdump serving Terrace; Thom- *
hill and Kitimat,

?
4
“4
:

They travelled down to Kim

‘when’
delivers a’ couple of boxes’ of

News
In Brief

Lucky couple

_.| ANOTHER TERRACE couple

has struck gold ‘n the’ lotiery,
Their $500,C90 comes hard on

pot won a few weeks ago.

“We were in quite:a thzy”
when we realized-we had’
wou,”’ says Ruth Gravelle. She

‘and her husband Kip won the
‘money on the EXTRA num:

bers: on the BC/49 draw,
“We were kind of stunned;
just. couldn’t believe it,” adds

Joops Aug. 11 for thelr prize.
Tt was especially a surprise
considering someone had just
recently won $5 million. in
town,” says Ruth, ~ °°

She and her husband have
lived in Terrace for 38 years,
and will celebrate: their 55th
wedding anniversary soon. She

with part of the winnings. |
dren — Elaine Fumseth -of
olichunk of Prince Rupert,

Inthe bag . :

RCMP SAY. a- tp. ‘to

federal prison near Victoria, : -_
‘Barty David Smith, 22," was.

picked up ata local residence.:’ f
°-He was serving fi time for theft. ;
related offences, | :

“Airport drop

CIVIC OFFICIALS are to get
their: first look'at the ins’and
outs: of. the Terrace airport:
_ Transport - Canida’

documents this Friday.. 8

The documents’. outline the
financial-and, other dealings, of,
‘he ‘airport which is schedules
to come under local: jurisdic.’
tion in the next few years.

the heels of # $5 million jack-

says they might buy.an; ‘RV. .

‘They also ‘plan ‘to share the:
money with their three chil-

Tertace, Joc Gravelle of Prince |
George and Leslie ‘Nick- :

Crimestoppers resulted in: ‘the:
arrest Aug. 11 of an escaped (|.
inmate from the: William: Head . QS

Se COMPREHENSIVE DANCE INSTRUCTION oo
From First Step Through Professional Training :

_ Registration for Classes es
August 21st-31st
5-7 pmat the Studio

for classes occurring

“September 5th - June 30th -

r Way Through Life!

‘

3226A River Drive
(in Thornhill) «

—-LYNN SCHOOL

OF

Laura Flynn, Teacher, Member Of 2 Rayal bescnyo Banc

"638-2077