May 11, 2020 at 11:03 am
By Corporal John MacDonald
In preparation for spring and any potential flooding Game Wardens Ed Christie, Adrienne Marquis, and Sergeant Mike Joy recently performed airboat training on Portage Lake. The ice conditions on the lake made for some very good training.
According to Game Warden Sergeant Mike Joy, an airboat to the Warden Service is similar to a fire truck to a fire department. It always needs to be ready to go and the wardens using it need the proper training to safely and effectively operate it. When an airboat is needed there is no other piece of equipment that can take its place. Airboats can navigate effectively on water and ice making them ideal for water rescues.
Since 2018 the boat has been used primarily for training with one operation to retrieve a group of people that got stranded at their residence due to spring flooding. Flooding in Aroostook County is a real concern so having the airboat in the County is a great asset to public safety.
The airboat is also used as a dive platform for body recoveries.
Learn more about the Maine Warden Service at mainegamewarden.com