New rescue boat for Hoodsport Fire & EMS

Hoodsport Fire & EMS, also known as Mason County Fire District 18, has a new rescue boat courtesy of the Hood Canal Kiwanis Club and an anonymous donor.

The 17-foot aluminum Silver Heel model purchased from Lee Shore Boats in Port Angeles will be used to rescue boaters, tow boats and transport residents on the isolated west side of Lake Cushman who need medical attention. It's the only fire service boat in Mason County.

"We are terribly excited," said Fire District 18 Chief Michael Sexton. He added, "I compare it as a rescue tool to the jaws of life: you don't always need it, but when you do, they're awesome."

The boat is stationed in Hoodsport and will be used on Hood Canal all the way to Belfair, and on Lake Cushman and Lake Kokanee. The boat has a side door that can be opened and a ladder dropped into the water to rescue people in the water. The boat was used for its maiden rescue when two men capsized their boat south of Hoodsport.

The boat can reach speeds of about 35 mph and has a draft of only six inches, which will help it avoid submerged stumps in Lake Cushman and Lake Kokanee, Sexton said. District members tested an identical model owned by the Seattle Fire Department.

Fire district personnel must have a boater's operating card to come aboard, the chief said. About six to eight people have those cards now and others will be trained, he said.