Steuben County Sheriff’s Department adds Airboat

updated 30 June 2011 at 17h12

ANGOLA, Ind. (Indiana’s NewsCenter) — Thanks to a donation from the Richard Poe Estate, the Steuben County Sheriff’s Department now has an airboat as part of its fleet.

The Sheriff’s Department received the airboat at the end of April 2011 from the Poe Estate, which specified the boat be used in and around Steuben County for emergency / law enforcement services.

The airboat is a 1999 15 foot C-Breeze customized by Diamondback Airboats of Cocoa Florida. It is equipped with a 550 horsepower V8 engine, a full Teflon undercoating for shallow water and ice maneuvering, seating for five officers, exterior flood lighting and a single axle customized tilt trailer.

Customization included complete repainting of airboat parts and trailer, new seat covers, new floor covering spray for front platform; two exhaust mufflers, complete Sheriff striping kit, emergency red/blue lighting and an hour meter. Not only was all the material donated, so was the labor.

The airboat has undergone a major transformation through generous donations from the following community members and businesses:

• Angola Collision (Chad Wise) – Paint and labor to recolor the trailer and boat
• Custom Marine Covers (Tim Fletcher) – New seat covers to compliment the new color
• Midwest Dive Supply (Mark and Josh Thrasher) – Labor to install lighting/seating/modifications
• Shipe Spraying Service (Danny Shipe) – Recolor and abrasive flooring material for platform
• Thrasher Welding and Machine (Mark Thrasher) – Machining and installation of new mufflers, lighting, seating; Labor to remove and install parts for painting
• Jim Grandin – Complete Sheriff stripe/logo kits for proper markings

Deputies in the department will be undergoing special training in the airboat’s use throughout the summer.