GORGEOUS…but, also dangerous. Members of the Downe Township Fire/Rescue and Dive Team recently traveled to Maurice River Township to participate in a dive drill. The dive site was a mile off the road in the Nature Conservancy. Crews had to use multiple UTV’s to get the equipment and boats back to the dive site, an old sand wash “blue hole.” Once settled at the site, members used two jack lines to run patterns to search for the “victim,” who was located and brought to the surface. The companies involved were Port Elizabeth Fire Co., Leesburg Fire Co., Cumberland Fire-Rescue Station 23, Heislerville Volunteer Fire Co., Port Norris Fire Co., and MRT OEM. Note: once arriving, crew members observed no less than 10 people swimming at the site. Swimmers are reminded that swimming in these blue holes is not only dangerous because of the dramatic drop offs, but illegal in many areas. At this particular locale, the depth dropped to 36 feet just 20 feet from the shoreline.
