New fire boat helps in Lake rescue

[caption id="attachment_12621" align="alignleft" width="270"] The Clear Lake Fire Boat and DNR officers responded to the boating emergency.[/caption]

The Clear Lake Fire Department successfully used its new fire boat to rescue a man injured  on Clear Lake Tuesday, Sept. 1.

Jim Duea, 77, of Ames, Iowa was taken to the hospital after being hurt while boating.  According to officials, the incident happened at about 12:50 p.m. about three-eights of a mile southwest of the area off the Seawall.

Authorities say Duea fell and was impaled through the upper left leg by a boat cleat on the edge of the boat. He was suspended over the side of the boat and partially was in the water. Karolyn Ellett, of Ames, was also in the boat and was able to call 9-1-1 while keeping Duea from falling overboard with the use of a rope to keep him above water, saving his life.

The new fire boat responded with four CLFD personnel and quickly located a boat with a person in distress. Using the drop down bow on the fire boat, the boat crew was able to quickly assist and load Duea into the boat and provide medical care while transporting the patient to the main avenue boat ramp to the waiting ambulance.  Rescue workers noted the fire boat is equipped with a drop down bow that allows the whole front of the boat to lower into the water. This proved very valuable in being able to quickly assist Duea without having to put fire fighters in the water and without having to try and load a patient from the water over the sides of the boat. The bow door was also used in unloading the patient at the boat ramp off the front of the boat.

Officers from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources also arrived on scene and assisted Ellett in  getting their boat to shore.

Clear Lake firefighters and a Cerro Gordo County deputy helped to free Duea from the cleat and transported him to shore on the Fire Department’s rescue boat. Duea was taken to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City for treatment.

The new fire boat was a gift from Mark & Diane Holt and was put into service on June 19.