GRAND HAVEN, Mich. -- It was a beautiful day on the lakeshore when Coast Guard Station Grand Haven invited us out to see them in action on Wednesday, July 25. The sun was shining down on Lake Michigan in a way that made the water seem to sparkle.
But while most people spend their time on the water to enjoy serenity, Coast Guard members do it to prepare for darker days, when someone desperately needs their help.
Station Grand Haven recently designed a safety supervisor role for drills like the one we were about to witness. On this day, that supervisor was Master Chief Kirk McKay.
"Someone's watching the overall scenario," he said. "Everyone has their own job, but if you have someone watching the overall picture you can make sure that nobody gets hurt."
McKay is no stranger to these waters. He was previously stationed at Station Grand Haven for four years. He's just a few months into his second go-around. He explained the mission of the morning to myself and 13 ON YOUR SIDE promotions producer Aaron Russman.
"Right now if someone were to fall over the side, what we're trying to do is to turn around and recover them," he said. "That pick up also is when we come up alongside some other vessel that loses someone over the side. We're doing the same type of training bringing them aboard. Same techniques."
I've got to be honest. I wasn't prepared for how intense this drill would be. We were already going pretty fast for my liking when one crew member in special gear jumped off the side of the vessel.
"Man overboard! Starboard side! One fell overboard," belted out crew member Tristan Foegelle.
At this point, BM1 Michael Sheahan, who was operating the vessel, spun it around. Fast. This was the point where my novice sea legs failed me. I sat down in a chair on the upper deck and held onto whatever I could, trying to keep my camera pointed at the action. Down below, though, the crew members guiding Sheahan to our "victim" stood perfectly balanced, and focused on the mission.
"My role as the coxswain is basically overall safety of the crew, to drive the boat, get it in position, and ultimately to get the crew in the best position possible to pick up the person in the water," said Sheahan.
The crew practiced the man overboard drill several times, using different devices to make the rescue depending on the situation. They'll practice these techniques, and many more, to make sure they're always ready for potential emergency calls.
"It's a never ending process," Sheahan said. "You're always out here. You can always get better. You get to a point where you're comfortable but you never reach a point where you think you've perfected it and that's why we come out here to train."
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Matt Gard is the Senior Producer of 13 ON YOUR SIDE Mornings. If you have a story idea, you can contact him on Twitter, @mgard_wzzm13 or by e-mail, MattGard@wzzm13.com.