AMSEA Instructors, MIke Motti and Jerry Dzugan, had no one to train in Alaska this week because everyone in Alaska is out fishing or doing other subsistence and recreational activities on the water. So, when the opportunity came up to train the Ocean Search & Rescue (OSAR) crew, based in Palmer Station, Antarctica, they went for it. The home office for the OSAR team is located in Colorado, so the 4 day of hands-on SAR training took place in Gunnison, Colorado at Blue Mesa Resevoir. This reservoir is the largest body of water entirely in Colorado. This makes it a great place to train the OSAR members before their summer (in Antarctica) deployment. However, the immersion suit chain swim took place in a small hotel pool in the town of Gunnison which is 7,700 feet above sea level. We think that this is the highest place on earth the chain swim was ever performed. If anyone can claim they have done a chain swim at an elevation over 7,700 feet, let us know!
Top: OSAR training students get ready to launch at Blue Mesa Reservoir.
Middle: Chain swim at 7,700 feet!
Bottom: Palmer station Marine Tech David Moore holding the repaired beach ball with co-worker Mark Dalberth looking on.