Pittsburgh River Rescue welcomes 5 new divers to EMS dive team
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - There is a new team in town, and on Tuesday, they dove in for one final practice lap before their real work begins.
On Tuesday, a group of five paramedics, consisting of one woman and four men, completed what has been described as the toughest training of their first responder careers so far, but also one of the most fulfilling.
Some were sitting in lawn chairs, others standing in the shade. Supporters rallied along the Allegheny River to cheer on this team of paramedics as they completed one final challenge.
"She's worked very hard. And they deserve to be here!"
To become the newest River Rescue divers, the group had to participate in this grueling rescue simulation, swimming with a pretend victim for more than a mile before reaching the shore.
"They've learned salvage, river rescue, dive operations, swift water, and some fire fighting capabilities, just to name a few," said Amera Gilchrist, Chief of EMS in the city of Pittsburgh.
For these first responders, this event marks the end of a nearly 800-hour training period over seven months.
River Rescue now has 20 trained divers with these five new additions, and Patrick Gilchrist is one of them.
"This was the toughest training I have ever been part of. Any of these guys and girls on this unit I trust my life with any day," he added.
While these divers may have conquered this feat, they will have continued training throughout their careers, including ice dives to help prepare them for those cold Pittsburgh rescue missions.