Hennepin Co. To Get Drowning Victim Locator
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office will soon have an underwater remote-operated vehicle to help rescue and recover drowning victims.
Hennepin County commissioners on Tuesday approved an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a $145,000 grant to purchase the device.
The funding also covers dive-team training and equipment. The money is a U.S. Coast Guard port security grant.
The device would be owned, operated and maintained by the sheriff's office. It would be used in murky or deep-water recoveries, such as in Lake Minnetonka, where depths can reach 100 feet. It will be used along with sonar equipment that the sheriff's office already has.
Officials say the device will allow for quicker recovery of drowning victims and enhance the dive team's safety.
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