Equipment Needed, Lakeside Rescuers To The Rescue
NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A Neenah resident is hoping to raise $15,000 for the Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team.
Taylor Olsen lives on Lake Winnebago and tells FOX 11 he’s seen on multiple occasions how the lack of proper equipment has impacted the rescue and potentially put rescuers at risk.
“It’s surprising that the equipment that I have on my rather basic fishing boat is the same equipment they have on their water rescue boat.”
Olsen like others who live on Lake Winnebago has seen firsthand how the tools used can make the difference in a rescue.
That’s why he’s started a GoFundMe page.
Following a boating accident on Lake Winnebago that killed sisters, Lauren and Cassie Laabs, Olsen met with Neenah-Menasha fire Chief Kevin Kloehnn.
“The electronics on the Winnebago County boat are dated they currently don’t have sonar and sonar is very important in seeing the bottom structure of the lake. So what happened with the incident in August, they had to wait I believe up to 18 hours to pull a boat from the Wisconsin DNR to get that sonar equipment.”
Night vision and thermal detection goggles, and a side sonar are some items on the wish list.
“Those extra tools will definitely be able to help us in the future,” said Kloehn.
Kloehn said being that both cities are surrounded by water it’s important to have the proper equipment, and although their current equipment is sufficient he says the waterways get a lot of use.
“Recreation is a big draw to our two cities. We have kayakers, we have sail boats, we have pleasure boats and fishing boats. So, people that utilize our lakes, we want them to feel comfortable. That’s a great draw for our cities and we want them to feel comfortable when they’re here.
Kloehn said the team is appreciative that residents want to help.
He says their latest rescue and recovery search in August took two days. Having this equipment on hand would’ve cut that time down significantly.
