Tuscola County Sheriff’s airboat
posted: 09 October 2016
by: Mark Tower
TUSCOLA COUNTY, MI — Deputies from two local law enforcement agencies recently participated in training for use of an airboat purchased earlier this year.
(Courtesy: Tuscola County Sheriff’s office) Deputies participated in training on Saturday, 6 Oct, with an airboat operated cooperatively by the Huron and Tuscola County Sheriff offices. The airboat is mainly aimed at helping the local law enforcement agencies better respond to offshore rescues along the two counties 116 miles of Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron shoreline.
The piece of equipment is operated jointly by the sheriffs of Huron and Tuscola counties, and was purchased by the two counties with help from a Homeland Security grant.
Unveiled to the public in February, it replaced an older airboat in use since 2000.
This is the old airboat
It’s main focus is to help facilitate rescue operations along the long stretch of Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron shoreline shared by the two counties.
Deputies from both sheriff’s offices participated in a joint training session with the airboat on Thursday, 6 Oct, according to a Facebook post from the Tuscola County Sheriff’s office.
“Since this boat can be used in all types of conditions, it is important that everyone involved maintains their skills in the boat’s operation,” the post states.
See a video demonstration of the airboat in use, posted in February after the equipment was received by local law enforcement:
