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Fort McCoy DES Fire Department dive team holds 2026 ice rescue training at frozen lake at Fort McCoy, Part 2

Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office

Feb. 11, 2026 | 0:45

Firefighters with the Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department dive team practice an ice rescue scenario Feb. 11, 2026, at a frozen Big Sandy Lake on South Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. Several firefighters with the team took their turn getting in a suit, strapping an air tank and full-face mask, and diving into the depths of Big Sandy Lake under the ice on Fort McCoy’s South Post. The divers were covering depths of up to 25 feet or more completing several types of rescue scenarios under the guidance of fellow firefighters. Divers took turns going in and out of the same hole that was cut in the ice. Each diver was tethered with a connecting line that included a communications connection. (U.S. Army Video by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)