ERVING — William Gordon decided to join the Northfield Dive and Rescue Team after witnessing a drowning as a Greenfield Police officer, and seeing how little a typical emergency response could help.
“Personally, I decided I wanted to find the tools in case I came across that in the future,” Gordon said.
Gordon was one of three from the team who practiced a swift water rescue drill on Sunday in preparation for the River Rat Race in Athol and Orange.
The group is a volunteer-run nonprofit that helps emergency departments around the county with water rescues, and aims to ensure safety at the 5.2-mile canoe racs on April 8 and 9. Bill Ryan, who runs the group, said each year members rescue several people from the water, which typically hovers around 30 degrees this time of year.
Which begs the question the group often gets: How do they stay warm in water that cold? The divers wear two types of suits, either a wetsuit that lets in a small layer of water that is then heated by the body and keeps the divers warm, or a dry suit that is bulky, but keeps the diver dry in the water.
The group has about 30 members total, many like Mike Gralenski, a retired police officer who joined the team in 1987. Outside of taking several years off when he had children, he has been there ever since.
For the members, who have to own and pay for their own gear, diving is often a passion or a hobby, and joining the diving team is a way to use their skills to give back to the community.
“No one is buying their gear, no one’s paying for their training, so they really have a true interest in trying to help,” Ryan said.
A lot of the members, but not all, come from local law enforcement or fire departments.
“Most of us have a first responders personality,” Gordon said.
He and other members said it’s a sense of camaraderie and a family-like bond on the team that helps keep members coming back.
The team usually meets once a month to practice drills, and they meet several additional times ahead of the River Rat Race. Ryan said the people who enter the race aren’t usually professionals and if they fall in, they’re often wearing street clothing, and aren’t prepared for the shock of the cold water. That’s where the team comes in.
For every diver in the water, the team needs people on shore as well, to assist and manage any situations that might come up.
The group has all types of specialized gear and a bus donated by FRTA. Other costs are covered by the annual summertime fundraiser and the members themselves. More information on the group can be found on its Facebook page: bit.ly/2nut6Ye
Reach Miranda Davis
at 413-772-0261, ext. 280
or mdavis@recorder.com
On Twitter: @mirandardavis