Despite the ongoing partial government shutdown, the U.S. Coast Guard station in St. Joseph continues to run.
The Coast Guard performed ice rescue drills on Tuesday both as part of their regular procedures, and to remind the public of the dangers of walking on ice.
“The Coast Guard will say, period, that no ice is safe ice,” said Executive Petty Officer Lazaro Lopez. “A lot of people do call our station and talk to our watch center ‘Hey, when is it acceptable, at what inch, at what degree?’ and we tell people no ice is safe ice.”
The Coast Guard used the drills to demonstrate that once you fall through the ice and enter the frigid waters, you don’t have much time to get out.
“If you were to fall in there with just regular clothes, it would soak close to you, freeze instantly, and you’ve only got one minute to get your breathing under control, ten minutes of movement and an hour of consciousness, and that’s pretty much it,” said Austin Ballard, a second class officer who participated in the drills.
The Coast Guard is operating as usual, even as the partial federal government shutdown enters its second month. The Coast Guard has received a great amount of support from the community, which goes a long way for the officers.
“Just folks coming up to my crew and saying ‘thank you’, that they understand that we’re probably going through a tough time, being tied into such a small town, that sense of community has just been humbling,” said Chief Petty Officer Grant Heffner.
The St. Joseph Coast Guard station is planning a thank you to the community once the government reopens. Until then, the officers will continue to stand watch 24/7.
