Regina Fire dive team working on underwater recovery skills
A team of Regina firefighters is taking a deep dive into training this week, as they work towards underwater recovery certification.
Regina Fire and Protective Services members were at Lovering Lake practicing their skills during a training session Thursday.
Since January, a team of 12 firefighters has been training to receive deep water underwater recovery certification. Saskatoon Fire has been the acting dive team while the team has been training, but the service hasn’t been needed.
Previously, the Regina Police Service was responsible for the recovery dive team, but three years ago it was decided Regina Fire would take over.
“If there's any request that comes through, Regina, police or surrounding area. We would now be the agency that would be involved for the below surface recovery of any evidence or anybody,” Neil Sundeen, the Deputy Fire Chief, said.
Conditions were ideal for diving on Thursday, but the team said that’s typically not the case.
“Last week, we were diving at Katepwa, and as soon as you were more than eight feet under the water is kind of black as midnight down there. We'll be moving to different lakes and different environments, just to get the guys trained in those low vis situations because as public safety divers, we don't really get to choose our dive sites,” Luke Sitter, the dive instructor for the underwater recovery team said.
The training is meant to give the divers a taste of some of the challenges they may face in real emergency situations.
The team is hopeful they will be fully qualified by October, but they’ll need to certify during the winter in order to perform ice dives.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, Ontario police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Taylor Swift's new album allegedly 'leaked' on social media and it's causing a frenzy
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.