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Texas City, Texas (KIAH) This week, members of US Coast Guard Air Station Houston came to Lago Mar for their annual water survival training in the community’s 12-acre crystal-clear lagoon. About 70 people attended the big event which included pilots, crews and lifeguard swimmers. They were divided into groups to perform a 75-meter swim, immediately followed by a two-minute walk on the water. Then they had to board a training life raft. And, to make the challenge as realistic as possible, they wore a flight suit, flight boots, and a weighted flight harness.
During the training, several helicopter lifeguards served as safety observers both in and out of the water. Each is EMT qualified and water safety expert. After the exercises in the water, the participants attended various lectures regarding water survival, EMT training and various survival topics.
The idea of ââusing Lago Mars 12-acre crystal clear lagoon came after a Coast Guard morale day held there in July in conjunction with the lagoon
s National Sailing Club. After the survival training, the participants again had the chance to relax in the lagoon.
âThese annual exercises are a requirement for anyone flying in a rescue helicopter,â said AST1 Zachary Burley. âWe have to make sure they have the physical and mental capacities to survive. “
Zachary Burley / AST1 US Coast Guard
Burley said these exercises usually take place at Stewart Beach. And while the Gulf can provide the choppy water teams sometimes encounter during actual rescues, there are downsides.
âThe waves and the wind can move the markers that we have set up for swimming,â said Burley. âThe lagoon allowed us to accurately measure swimming distance. In addition, we know the depth, so it is impossible for someone to touch what they must have been swimming and swimming on the water. We will know they are ready.
Zachary Burley / AST1 US Coast Guard
Not only the lagoon of Lago Mar is the states largest, it offers the most shoreline of any lagoon in the nation. It holds 24 million gallons of water and the lagoon
The liner system is large enough to cover the entire Houston Galleria mall or 14 NFL football fields. The surface of the lagoon is equivalent to approximately 1,350 residential swimming pools.
âWe were all ready to organize survival training when the Coast Guard approached us. It is a large-scale controlled environment, perfect for training exercises, as it allows the Coast Guard to create unique and specific challenges for its personnel to further develop their skills and capabilities. This
s an honor to make our facilities available to the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard who are the nation
s maritime first responders, helping to minimize loss of life and property by locating and rescuing those in distress. This is the first time that Coast Guard survival training has been held in a crystal clear lagoon to our knowledge, but it likely won’t be the last. “Uri Man / CEO The Lagoon Development Company
You can find more information about the lagoon and Lago Mar on www.lagomarintexascity.com.
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