WEEKEND EDITION
Friday
December 20, 2013
Go to www.crestonnews.com for Breaking News as it happens
Patton goes over 1,000 points for career SPORTS, page 1S
QUICK NEWS Arispe mayor resigns
Rescue and Recovery The Ringgold Community Water Emergency Team gives an inside look of ice rescue and recovery efforts and how to stay safe on the ice this winter n
By JAKE WADDINGHAM
CNA staff reporter jwaddingham@crestonnews.com
Lights are useless. The water — pitch black — hoovers just above the freezing point. And the diver, with about 100 pounds of equipment, enters the water and descends to the bottom to begin a rescue or recovery effort. The only way out is back through the hole in the ice entered moments before. Outdoor recreational activities during the winter months often include time spent on the ice. When accidents happen, the Ringgold Community Water Emergency Team has its trailer equipped and ready to respond the moment the team is called out. Ed Rotert, a self-employed handyman for plumbing, heating, electrical and air conditioning jobs, has been a volunteer rescue diver and training officer since 2005. Ringgold’s team, a member of the Midwest Regional Dive team, responds to an
average of four or five calls a year for water rescues or recoveries. Rotert is also a member of the executive council of the Midwest team. The team’s most recent dive was a successful recovery of a body in Lake Ponderosa near Montezuma. “We don’t take over the scene, we take control of the water,” Rotert said. “We talk to witnesses, some of us meet and Rotert form a plan of action, and then we implement that plan and start diving and searching.” Staying safe Rotert said there are several key factors anyone on the ice needs to keep in mind in order to stay safe on the ice this winter. First, he said it is never good to be on the ice alone, but stay spread out on the ice to keep weight dispersed. He added to constantly check for cracks or changes in the ice.
If a fall through happens, immediately call for help. Anyone in the water should try to hold on to the ice pack. “If it is really cold weather and you can get your coat sleeves damp, lay them on the ice and don’t move them,” Rotert said. “It freezes your coat to the ice. If hypothermia sets in and you pass out, you don’t slide off the ice.” Rotert said anyone nearby should not approach the hole. After calling for help, try to get a hose or rope to toss to the victim in the water. Creston Fire Department and other local fire departments are trained for cold water surface recovery. “We are designed for quick response, if they are on the surface we can get them off,” Assistant Fire Chief Mick Landers said. “We do have some techniques to help try to extend our search under water, but we technically do not enter under water.” Rescue and recovery Once a victim is no longer on the surface of the water, surface rescue teams are limited by their equipment and
help prepare the scene for the dive team. “We treat everything up to three hours as a rescue,” Rotert said. A primary diver enters the water first with a backup diver waiting in case the first diver experiences any trouble. During ice recoveries, the diver wears a harness with a rope to tender them to the hole on the surface. “The guys on the surface, their fingers get numb,” Rotert said. “They are dealing with the water and wet ropes. It’s a job just keeping their hands dry.” Each diver takes 20 minute shifts. A scribe on the surface documents the time each diver spends under water, track fatigue and the amount of oxygen used. Sometimes dives can take days, so crews like the Creston Fire Department offer support and vital supplies for the dive teams. The cold water often causes gear failure, making the rescue or recovery effort even more challenging.
Michael Fry — the Arispe mayor charged with fourth-degree theft in October after allegedly compromising a credit card from Southern Prairie Solid Waste — signed documentation Thursday resigning from his elected office. Fry was the chairman of the Southern Prairie Solid Waste board. He allegedly used the agency’s credit card to purchase gasoline for his personal vehicle four times in September and twice in October. The total improper charges to the agency account is estimated at $330. Fry’s resignation as Arispe mayor comes shortly after Union Fry County Attorney Tim Kenyon supsended Fry from his mayoral duties and filed a petition to remove him as mayor. Moving forward, Mayor Pro Tem Darcy Johnson will continue mayoral duties for Fry whose term was to expire in 2015. It’s still unknown as of 10 a.m. this morning whether the Arispe City Council — in light of this resignation — can appoint a new mayor or if a special election will be held. The News Advertiser will update this story when that information becomes available. A pretrial conference in Fry’s theft case is scheduled 10:30 a.m. Jan. 30 at the Union County Courthouse. A trial is slated for 9:30 a.m. March 3.
Missing Creston woman located Thursday
Brooke Carter — the 23-year-old female from Creston who went missing Sunday — has been located. Creston Police Department reported her found Thursday when she arrived for her court date in Union County. No further details have been released.
YMCA Jumpstart Jam
The Southern Prairie YMCA’s Jumpstart Jam kicks off 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 4. The free event allows visitors and members to sample fitness classes, swim in the pool and take part in a variety of games and activities. “We did our open house last year and it was very successful,” said YMCA Welcome Linch Center Supervisor Raquel Linch. “It gives people a chance to try a variety of different fitness classes
Please see RESCUE, Page 2
Please see QUICK NEWS, Page 2
CNA photo by KYLE WILSON
Balloon release: St. Malachy students release pink, orange and yellow balloons Thursday afternoon in memory of classmates T.J. and Nate Frey who died earlier this month after falling through ice on a farm pond and drowning in Adams County. The balloon release ceremony Thursday — with the Frey family present — also included scripture reading and the playing of the boys favorite song “Last Dollar” by Tim McGraw.
CNA photo by KYLE WILSON
Present wrapping: Left, Sophie Hagle, 8, wraps a picture frame for a family member Thursday afternoon at Creston Middle School during a program called Presents For People We Care About. This program in the elementary and middle school provides an opportunity for all children to shop for special people in their lives. There is no cost to the students. The event runs entirely on donations from caring individuals in the community. Also pictured is 7-year-old Savannah Sistad. Serving Southwest Iowa since 1879 Price 75¢
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Volume 130 No. 136 Copyright 2013
Contact us 2013
In person: 503 W. Adams Street Mail: Box 126, Creston, IA 50801-0126 Phone: 641-782-2141 Fax: 641-782-6628 E-mail: news@crestonnews.com
Contents
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B Community . . . . . . . . . . . . 1B Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B Deaths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Heloise Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1S-4S
Weekend weather High 29 Low - 2 Full weather report, 3A