It didn't take the Tuscarora Township Fire Department long to have their new hovercraft called into action. On Sunday afternoon, just as firemen were getting set up for a joint training session with the Cheboygan County Dive Team on Burt Lake, they received a call out from Central Dispatch. Three snowmobiles were struggling on the ice on the north part of Burt Lake.

Firemen took the hovercraft to the scene and found that two of the snowmobiles had made it across the ice. The other had broken through and the machine was stuck. Firemen helped the downstate snowmobiler from the stuck machine get to shore. "He was cold, but all right," Tuscarora Township Fire Chief Dave Carpenter reported. The new hovercraft is a 4-man vehicle. The fire department had a 2-man hovercraft that will now become a back-up unit. Fireman had made rescues and saved lives with the 2-man unit. However, they had some concerns. In rescue work, basic protocol is for fireman to work in teams and stay together. With the 2-man unit, firemen had to split up in order to get a victim on the machine and back to shore. With the new larger hovercraft a team of two firemen can bring two victims aboard and quickly bring them back to shore.

"It'll haul two rescuers and two patients and can get across the lake in about seven minutes," Carpenter explained.

The fire department took delivery of the new hovercraft, which also has some additional lighting equipment this fall and was having their first ice training session with it Sunday afternoon. After the rain that the area received last weekend ice conditions on Burt Lake have been marginal at best.

Four snowmobilers in Wayne County are counting their blessings. They lost their way and drove into the frigid water of Sodus Bay over the weekend. They are now out of the hospital and doing okay after suffering from hypothermia.

A big reason two of the snowmobilers are alive is the Sea Breeze Volunteer Fire Department in Irondequoit. It's one of the only two departments in upstate New York that owns a hovercraft. When members of the ice rescue team heard the call come across the scanners they suited up and drove 25 miles east to help.

Unlike any other rescue vehicle, hovercrafts can do 70 to 80 miles per hour on ice. "People though when we first got it, [it] was an overkill or a waste of money but you can't put a price tag on lives so the 40 thousand dollars that it cost was definitely worth it last night," firefighter Dave Deroller said.

Chief John McDonald says Saturday's rescue was a perfect example of why the department bought the hovercraft a decade ago, to save time on the ice and save lives. He says the department will use the vehicle anywhere help is needed.

ELLSWORTH, Maine - A teenage girl who "needed some fresh air" ran across the thin ice of Graham Lake on Monday morning to a small island just offshore. After she was located by a game warden, both were rescued by a crew in a hovercraft.

A hovercraft from Brewer was called into service for the incident and towed on a trailer to the scene approximately 20 miles away by rescue workers.

"She was cold." Game Warden Phil Richter, 48, said after being plucked from the island by the hovercraft crew. "She wasn't clothed to be outside, for sure, just jeans and sneakers."

And her legs and feet were wet, "because she had broken through part of the ice on the way over" to the island which is located a couple hundred yards offshore, Richter said.

The 14-year-old girl, whose name was not released, is enrolled in the KidsPeace program which is a "national children's crisis charity dedicated to giving hope, help and healing to children facing crisis." according to a press release from the agency.

She left her classroom in a building near the lake just before 9 a.m. saying she needed some air. Her teacher "followed her outside to make sure she was all right, but she ran down to [the] frozen shore of Graham Lake and began running across the ice toward a nearby island," according to the KidsPeace press release.

The teacher was unable to follow due to the lake's thin ice. Within 10 minutes of calling for help, Richter arrived. He is a diver for the Main Game Wardens and understands the dangers of traveling across waterways that are slightly frozen, he said. Even so, he donned a life jacket and headed across the ice to search for the girl.

"It was really bad ice." he said. "It wasn't good. Probably at the thickest, it was probably a couple of inches. That's why we didn't come back across on foot."

He said he moved gingerly while crossing the ice, noting that when he heard it cracking, "you always get a shiver up the spine."

Richter, in his 18th year as game warden, found the teen sitting on a rock on the island. To keep her warm, Richter wrapped his jacket around the girl and handed over his hat. The two discussed sports, school, family and friends while awaiting rescue.

The Bon Ton IV, a 19 foot...hovercraft purchased for the Bangor region in April of 2006 through a $59,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was called into service for the rescue. The game wardens own two air boats and a hovercraft, but the Bon Ton IV, docked in Brewer, was closer and the Brewer Fire Department offered their services Richter said.

The Hoverguard 1000 is shared between the fire departments of Bangor and Brewer and is available for use by area communities

Monday's incident is the first time the hovercraft has been used for a rescue, Brewer Assistant Fire Chief Chris Dore said.

"Last year, we got a call that something was stuck in the [Penobscot] river." he said. "This is its first official use to rescue a person."

Lt. Robbie Wildes piloted the craft, and firefighters Scott Stewart and Tony Cobb assisted.

Scott Conners, executive director for KidsPeace Graham Lake campus, could not say enough about the emergency crews that arrived to assist

"The response by the Maine Warden Service, the fire departments, and others on staff was exemplary and we thank them with all our hearts." he said. "In this part of Main, we all know how dangerous the ice can be at this time of year and we and the girl owe a debt of gratitude to the swift and brave rescuers. In particular, warden Richter's actions were nothing short of heroic. All the responders were amazing."

Richter said he's not a hero

"That's what game wardens do" he said.

We were called out during an intense storm. The highway we were traveling had many spots covered by water; in some cases two feet deep. The rain wouldn't quit and only the flashes of lightening made it possible for us to see through the rain. We all felt that we were driving into the heart of a monster. As we proceeded toward our first destination, we encountered washouts that covered the road with 2 feet of dirt and rocks that collapsed off of the hillsides from the heavy rains. We were in a four wheel drive GMC Jimmy pulling a Hoverguard 700. Not being discouraged by the obstacle, we drove over the debris only to encounter two more identical obstacles in the road. Luckily we were able to get over each of these debris fields and continue on to the first address of distress. Live electrical lines were down across the road; not to mention that a bridge over a usually quiet creek was now overcome by a foot of water. We made the decision to drive across the bridge even though water was raging over the bridge. Both truck and hovercraft made it safely to the other side. We were approximately 1/4 mile from our destination and we safely unloaded the hovercraft. The rain was driving so hard that even with the cockpit drain plugs pulled; the cockpit was still filling with water. We kept the bilge pump going to evacuate the rain water until we were able to fire the engine. Chief Hayburn, Lt. Pierce and I jumped in the craft and proceeded to hover down the county road until we reached the victim's address.

We arrived at 1:00 AM, the rains continued to make it difficult to see, but the light from the hovercraft illuminated the area well. Ahead of us was a small field with a tree line separating us from the home. There was an 8' wide opening in the tree line, which was the only opening to get to the residence. Right in that small opening was a 3 foot standing wave that was charging downhill perpendicular to our course. Aiming for the opening through the trees, we navigated to avoid the bushes and other vegetation that were sticking up above the water. Not able to get a straight shot at the opening, we had to keep the throttle open enough so that when we went through the gap we would have enough speed to break through the standing wave. Charging the opening and slightly grazing a tree the hovercraft plowed through the standing wave. At the house, there were two adults and three children and the water was raising quickly. We had minutes to get those people out. Our first load consisted of the three children. The toughest thing about this rescue was knowing that each time you went to and from the residence we would have to "shoot" that small opening in the tree line while successfully negotiating the ill-placed 3 foot standing wave. To quickly shoot through the standing wave, we increased the craft speed. Completely surrounded in darkness except for the occasional lightening flash; there was no knowledge of the area or what lay in wait for us if we were thrown off course and down current. We again shot the gap to rescue the adults and navigate them to safety. The intense driving ran had gotten the hovercraft air filter wet, making the engine run rich. It was an eerie feeling not knowing if the power was going to be there when you needed it. The adrenaline was pumping through all of our veins as we hovered down a dark country road back to the Jimmy and the hovertrailer. We could see with every lightening strike, the raging waters that were coursing through a normally benign creek. It sent chills down our spin because we realized what a dangerous situation we had been through

As we left the rescue scene, more and more distress calls were coming over the radio; it was easy to see that we were in for a long night. Arriving at the next scene at 2:30 am, Bucksin creek had overflowed its banks submerging Highway 41. The smell of fuel oil was everywhere and the scene was truly a disaster. To get to this house, we had to hover over what used to be the highway. There were two currents merging into one; the current from Bucksin creek and the water run off from the hillsides. We traveled 1/2 mile over these raging waters. On our first trip across the flood waters we narrowly missed being hit by a floating fuel oil tanker. The tanker was traveling fast with the current. If it had hit us, we probably wouldn't be here right now. The hovercraft carried us across the raging flood waters to the other side. We were now able to hover over visible parts of the highway. Just as soon as the highway appeared it disappeared underwater again. We traveled far enough that we could now see the house that was surrounded by water. Two people were stranded in their home. We hovered up to the porch and quickly loaded them in.

The storm began to rage again as we were heading back to safety. Before we reached the flooded area of the highway, we were traveling back over the part of Route 41 that wasn't under water. Just when we thought everything was under control, a wall of water dropped out of nowhere; impacting the hovercraft from the top and side. The estimated 2 foot water shed hit us with such force that it washed us off of the road into a drainage ditch.

Later we learn that there was a 30 foot cliff face next to the highway and water was collecting on top of it during the storm. As luck would have it, as we passed by that spot, it reached the tipping point and became a waterfall. It was pitch black and it hit us without warning. Both Lt. Pierce and I instructed our passengers to stay in the craft while we tried to get the craft back up onto the road. We successfully pushed the craft with our two occupants out of the ditch. We took a minute to catch our breathes and check over the hovercraft. The force of the impact smashed us against a fence row next to the drainage ditch and unhooked all of the skirting on the starboard side. Not wanting to wait around to see what else was going to happen, the decision was made to leave Lt. Pierce behind to reduce weight and take the two victims back to where the rescue personnel were standing by. With half of the skirting dangling beneath the craft, the craft came up on cushion and traveled well. With the two passengers and me, we traversed the flooded part of the highway and returned to our standing point.

After the two ladies were safe, I took a few minutes to fix the skirting back to their original positions; at the same time I was able to stay in radio contact with Lt. Pierce to make sure he was still OK. With the skirting fixed, I returned across the flooded highway to retrieve Lt. Pierce. Lt. Pierce jumped into the craft and we safely returned to our starting point. While we were making this rescue, Route 41 was flooding behind us; thereby possibly trapping us. We loaded the hovercraft onto its trailer and decided to see if we could get out of the area. We came to the area that was beginning to flood. We estimated that the water was about 3 foot deep in a span of 20 feet. We decided to try to cross this area; not the best decision that we ever made. As we drove the Jimmy into the water the headlights disappeared and then water began lapping against the windshield. Not eager to become a statistic, Chief Hayburn pressed the accelerator and the Jimmy with the hovercraft in tow luckily came up and out of the water.

Having a night full of this kind of excitement was enough for two life times, but as we would find out, this wasn't the end of the night. We called the dispatcher to let them know that the 2nd rescue was successful and we were available for any other calls. It just so happened that two motorist had driven into flood waters and were stranded. The location of the victims was about 30 minutes from our location. We radioed back and said that we were in route. At 4:30 AM, we arrived at the scene. This time two motorists had driven their cars into the water where they stalled. We unloaded the hovercraft on to the road. we evacuated the rain water from the cockpit that again collected from the deluge. We fired up the engine and Lt. Pierce and me hovered to and retrieved the motorists. This scene seemed somewhat surreal because when we arrived there was a news truck there from Columbus to cover the story. Their crew's lights lit up the are to some degree, but knowing that a camera was catching every move offered its own distractions. As the hovercraft returned the motorists to safety by flying out of the water and up on to the "dry" road, the news media was there with microphone in hand to immediately interview the victims

The night filled with scary moments and danger was finally over. The hovercraft did its job incredibly well. It returned those who were victims and those who were a part of its team safely. We accomplished things that only a hovercraft could have accomplished. No other vehicle type was able to attempt what was performed by the hovercraft that night. No helicopter could have flown during that storm and no boat of any type could have been deployed in those waters. It was interesting to note that many rescue boats showed up to a couple of the rescue scenes, but none left their trailers. The hovercraft proved its worth to the community, to the department and to many others. Now neighboring communities are asking why they don't have a hovercraft.

Back in service for just a few days, the Winnebago County Sheriff Department's Hovercraft was put to the test Friday night.

Members of the Oshkosh Fire Department used it to rescue a man and his two sons when they fell through the ice on Lake Winnebago near the mouth of the Fox River.

The trio was rescued about three-quarters of a mile south of Lake Street and Bay Shore Drive, Said Battalion Chief Jeff Johnson of the Oshkosh Fire Department.

Rescue personnel at the scene did not know precisely how the mishap occurred or the type of vehicle the man was driving when it went through the ice.

"He was driving around just showing the kids the ice is what he said," said Deputy Darren Putzer.

The boys were estimated at around 8 and 10 years of age. The names of those rescued were not released. No one was seriously injured, Putzer said.

They were very wet and shivering, but they seemed well," Putzer said.

All three were taken to Mercy Medical Center for treatment.

Cynthis Wood and Matt Galica, both of Oshkosh, were driving past the Pioneer Inn and Marina on their way home from Wendt's on the Lake with another couple when Wood saw what appeared to [be] the vehicle lights "totally tilted to the right" out on the ice, Wood said.

"We saw these blinking hazard lights and didn't know if it was a car or not," Wood said.

"We decided it was better to be safe than sorry, so I dialed 911," Wood said.

Wood and Galica pulled into the marina parking lot, called the other couple traveling in another car, and then called police. The two men ran out on one of the docks to see if they could help while Wood called the police.

In addition to Wood's call, police received calls from people who reported hearing a man calling for help from the ice.

The Hovercraft was called out at 9:01 p.m.

"Those people were lucky," Wood said. "If we had left Wendts 10 minutes later, or if I'd looked the other way when we drove past, we wouldn't have seen them."

The Hovercraft, which was damaged in December, was sent to Michigan for repairs. It was put back into service earlier this week, Johnson said.

At least 30 anglers had to be rescued from ice floes Tuesday on Lake St. Clair after warm temperatures and strong winds created cracks in parts of the ice.

Meanwhile, two Macomb County lawmakers said they will introduce legislation allowing communities to recover the cost of rescue operations. One measure by Sen. David Jay, R-Washington Township, calls for a three-year ban on ice fishing for people who have to be rescued repeatedly.

Witnesses said that up to 100 people were on the ice in several locations off Harrison Township when the ice began to crack Tuesday. Most made it to shore, but small groups had to be rescued by Coast Guard rescue boats and a Hovercraft from the Ira Township Fire Department.

"I heard the crack from far away; it was like a load roar," said Lonnie Martin of Madison Heights, who said the ice shook like an earthquake as the crack approached him. "The ice just split, and I had to jump out of the way."

Chuck Phillips, 42, of Algonac knew the ice had cracked when "the line started going underneath my leg. We ran about a good mile and a half."

Sustained winds of up to 28 mph and a high of 52 degrees caused the ice to break, officials said.

Coast Guard officials received a 911 call from a fisherman using a cellular phone at 12:25 p.m. Two Coast Guard helicopters directed anglers around the cracks to shore.

OSHKOSH - It was just before 6 p.m. Monday when the call arrived. The fire alarm sounded within moments. A minute later, one of the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department's two Hovercrafts were headed to the scene from a fire station just a mile away.

Two people, who had broken through Lake Winnebago whole riding a snowmobile, drowned before the Hovercraft touched the ice. The two on a second snowmobile who survived did so because of the Hovercraft and its well prepared crew. Oshkosh Fire Department Captain Dave Barter is certain of that.

"We feel very sad that two people lost their lives, but we feel very good about the fact that we were able to save the two others." said Barter, who piloted the craft Monday with the help of Battalion Chief Rick Krumenauer. "I can't say how proud I was of the way our guys responded. We were able to save two lives. It just doesn't get any better than that."

Barter and three other firefighters had the surviving man and child out of the water less than 20 minutes after the call arrived. That could not have happened without the Hovercraft.

The two Hovercrafts, stationed in Oshkosh and Menasha, are manned by firefighters. The machines see little, if any, duty during the warmer months when boats handle the rescue work.

The Hovercrafts respond to calls in neighboring counties as needs arise, explained sheriff's deputy Steve Herman, who managed the Hovercraft response unit before it became the duty of the fire department three years ago.

Herman said he knows of no other Hovercrafts available for rescues in the Fox Valley south of Brown County.

"Sheriff (Michael) Brooks and I felt the fire department could do a better job with it than we could because they're ready to go 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," he said.

In about the time it would have taken the sheriff's department to track down the qualified officers, equip them and assemble a team, the firefighters had already rescued the survivors, John Leyhe, 42, and his son Martin, 7.

"I would say we were out the door a minute after the alarm and at the lake about two minutes later, " Barter said. "Then it probably took us another three or four minutes before we found them in the water."

The team found the father holding his son with one arm, clinging to a piece of broken ice with the other, Barter said.

"He was calling out, terrified, screaming," Barter said. "He had made up his mind that he wasn't going to let his son die."

The Hovercraft stopped several yards from the survivors, its crew fearful the wind from the craft would send chunks of ice crashing into the survivors.

Firefighter Kurt Heid and Chuck Hable jumped into the water and wrestled their way past several large, jagged chunks of ice to reach the pair.

"I can't say enough about those two," Barter said of Heid and Hable. "They laid their lives on the line to save those people."

Coincidentally, the Hovercraft team was at the same stretch of lakeshore hours before the mishap occurred. The foggy, misty weather scrapped the day's training plans, but the team took note of the available boat launches - just in case."

"We have 10 or 12 guys who are trained with it now, and we'd be drilling almost non-stop for the last month or two," Barter said.

Deputy Michael Woods had just finished dinner when he was called to retrieve the body of Douglas Dochterman, 46. His 6-year old son, Daniel, also died.

Woods, a member of the sheriff's department's dive team for nine years, said divers must respond quickly, calmly and decisively to have any hope of saving lives.

"This is one of those situations where if you don't want to be the first one in, you don't want to be on the (diving) team," he said.