Seguridad de Guanajuato in Mexico relies on Neoteric Hovercraft

Seguridad de Guanajuato, the state public security forces, is a branch of government in Mexico that is similar to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It's headquarters are in the city of Guanajuato, capitol of the state of Guanajuato. The city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is known as one of Mexico's most beautiful cities ...

Near the city, Securidad de Guanajuato has a base at the edge of Lago de Yuriria. Lake Yuriria is one of the two principal lakes in the state and is a popular attraction for both tourists and locals. Unfortunately, it's also the site of frequent accidents as well as drug enforcement problems. Compounding these issues is the fact that the lake often becomes completely covered with water lilies, over which regular boats can't travel. This not only increases the likelihood of accidents but also makes rescue operations more difficult and dangerous ...

But Neoteric Hovercraft came to the rescue. Officials from Seguridad de Guanajuato discovered Neoteric Hovercraft at last year’s FDIC (Fire Department Instructors’ Conference) in Indianapolis and quickly recognized that hovercraft would solve their problems. Early this year, the department purchased two 6-passenger Neoteric rescue hovercraft with cabins, along with two custom trailers ... 

One of the two Securidad de Guanajuato hovercraft awaits performance testing on the Wabash River in Terre Haute, Indiana
prior to shipment to Mexico.

The sales agreement was signed January 21, the day after President Trump took office. Delivery of the two hovercraft was delayed due to a number of problems, including the rising friction between the U.S. and Mexico, increasingly complicated customs procedures, and that fact that the Mexican peso plunged to an all-time low, which initiated a price re-negotiation.

But we at Neoteric value our 40+ year reputation for excellent customer service and will let no obstacles prevent us from fulfilling an order and ensuring customer satisfaction. Nothing is more important than hearing clients tell us - as did Wylie Fire-Rescue in Texas, for example  – “It's really a pleasure to work with a company that proves over and over to its customers that they truly care.”

So, despite all the obstacles, the two hovercraft were successfully shipped to Mexico. Then, Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald and Vice President Steve Stafford spent last week in Guanajuato conducting on-site hovercraft flight training and maintenance instruction for twenty officers and cadets from Seguridad de Guanajuato.

Fitzgerald and Stafford were assisted all week by two excellent technical translators, Jessica Pachaco (4th from left) and Eva Machado (3rd from right). Jessica is fluent in 7 different languages, and both were of tremendous help ...

The first two days at Securidad de Guanajuato headquarters consisted of ground instruction and comprehensive maintenance training, including detailed explanations of the hovercraft's various systems and how to correct problems should they arise. 

Thorough maintenance training was essential, given the environment at Lake Yuriria, with temperatures in the 90s. The 70-mile-long lake is at an elevation of 5,175 feet; engine and fan performance can be reduced by 4% per every 1000 feet of elevation, which could affect lift and thrust. ...

Here, the trainees learn how to replace the hovercraft cabins with standard windshields ...

At the conclusion of ground instruction and maintenance training, the entire crew traveled to Lake Yuriria with one of their hovercraft for hands-on flight training. The constantly moving clusters of water lilies were no obstacle for the hovercraft ...

Despite other obstacles - such as horses, herds of goats, and student paddlers - the flight training proceeded smoothly and successfully ...

At the end of the week, the state police officers and cadets from Seguridad de Guanajuato receive their hovercraft pilot training certifications ...

Seguridad de Guanajuato's two Neoteric hovercraft will be used to patrol Lake Yuriria, even when the lake is covered with water lily growth that prevents access by any other watercraft. Now the agency will be able to check fishing permits, control the flow of illegal drugs, and to perform water rescues more easily and more safely than ever before.

Learn more about flight & maintenance training at

Hovercraft Training Centers ...

Save lives safely with a Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft – NOW ON SALE!

Maritime Reporter and Marine News magazines recently published articles emphasizing the need for hovercraft to be increasingly used as a primary rescue vehicle - especially in water, mud, flood and ice rescue operations. Here’s an excerpt …

"Hovercraft have a growing role to play in search & rescue, commercial and military operations around the world. Hovercraft are a practical proposition for operations in areas inaccessible to other vehicles, including frozen water, mud flats, intertidal areas, shallow rivers and flooded inland areas. Perceived to be environmentally sound, as they don’t exhaust into the water, create no wash and do not disturb the sea bed, they are also economical."

Statistics show that the most frequent victims in water and ice rescue operations are animals, children, fishermen, skaters, snowmobilers … and first responders. Because it hovers 9 inches above the terrain, a hovercraft keeps your rescue team above the danger – not in it.

But the Neoteric Rescue HoverTrek™ is not just another rescue hovercraft. Its patented reverse thrust makes it the only rescue hovercraft with the ability to brake, back up and hover in place. Its unique capabilities have made it the global industry standard, relied upon by rescue agencies throughout the world.

And, first responders, here’s a chance to increase your team’s safety and your success rate. You can own this top-of-the-line Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft at a discounted price …

Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft for Sale

This Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft is a demo with only 4 hours of use. Featuring a 100 HP Hirth engine, reverse thrust and inline seating for six, this deluxe rescue hovercraft is also equipped with a saltwater marinization package, a front cabin, a stretcher mount, a PA system, a siren and a reinforced heavy duty body. We’re offering this rescue hovercraft for a discounted price of $58,000, and that includes a trailer. And flight training and maintenance instruction are free with purchase.

This is a rare opportunity for your rescue agency to join the ranks of first responders across the world who rely on Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft to help them save lives safely. And this is the perfect time of year to better prepare yourselves for ice rescues … so contact us now for more information before this hovercraft is sold.

Here’s what just one of those first responders has to say about his department’s Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft ... “Both the North Muskegon and Muskegon Fire Departments use hovercraft for their ice rescue operations. The hovercraft have saved more lives than our engines have. Since 1985, 255 people have been rescued or removed from Muskegon area lakes using the hovercraft. 50% would have drowned, not having the hovercraft as a safe rescue tool.”

~ Fire Chief Steve Lague

 North Muskegon Fire Department

Michigan, USA

Read comments from other first responders …

And watch this video of Neoteric rescue hovercraft in action …

Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft Saves the Day

The Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft owned by the White River Hazleton Volunteer Fire Department has served them well since they purchased it in 2011. The Department operates a dive boat, but needed a hovercraft to let them access areas a boat can’t reach. White River Hazleton protects the main fork of the White River in southern Indiana, which drains 70% of the state, and they provide mutual aid into Illinois as well.

Mark Ellis of the White River Hazleton Fire Department pilots their Neoteric hovercraft on the Wabash River last year as his Department assisted Neoteric with advanced flight training for the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department.

The Department’s hovercraft has successfully completed numerous difficult rescues along the White and Wabash Rivers … here’s an article about their most recent success …

Mt. Carmel Register
Oct. 7, 2015
by Marcus Smith

Hovercraft called in to rescue stranded boat

MOUNT CARMEL- Wabash Emergency Management Agency (WEMA) had to call in Hazleton’s White River Water Rescue and its hovercraft to rescue a stuck pontoon boat on the Wabash River Monday morning.

Shawn Lane, of Fairfield, and Bill Woodall, of Albion, went out to do some fishing before having engine troubles and becoming stuck south of the boat ramp by Twin Rivers Restaurant.

Woodall said the motor stopped running and the pair drifted down river until they became stuck.

Gerald Brooks, WEMA coordinator, said the depth of the river was so shallow that they couldn’t get a rescue boat close enough to the stranded craft to help.

“Not the best thing to do, going out on the river when it’s this shallow,” he said.

Initially, Brooks thought the people might have to be pulled from the craft, and a plan would have to be devised further down the road to tow the boat in.

“The boat might have to sit there for a while,” Brooks said.

White River Water Rescue from Hazleton, Indiana was called in to assist with its hovercraft.

Mike Ellis, White River Township Fire Chief, said the plan was to raise the motor on the pontoon boat out of the water, get the boat floating downstream and tow it to a downstream boat ramp.

After raising the motor out of the water the boat began to drift down river before hanging up on another set of rocks.

The passengers of the boat could be seen rocking the boat back and forth trying to break free. 

When that didn’t work, a tow rope was thrown from the pontoon boat to the hovercraft.

With one of the passengers of each craft holding on to the rope, the hovercraft was used to break the pontoon boat free, and then tow it to a private boat ramp downstream.

Read how Mike Ellis and first responders around the world use their

Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft ...

Neoteric Hovercraft Rescues Michigan Ice Fishermen

On a recent Saturday morning, five men walked out on ice-covered Muskegon Lake in Michigan for a little ice fishing. But they faced a real catch! Around noon, they noticed changes in the ice and headed back to shore. Two of them fell through the melting ice. When they called 911, they were told to stay in place until help arrived.

Fortunately, that help arrived in the form of North Muskegon Fire Department’s Neoteric rescue hovercraft and their highly trained first responders, who have been using the hovercraft for ice and water rescues for three decades. 

Even though the U.S. Coast Guard also responded to this emergency, the USCG usually responds to ice rescues with a team of four who go out on the ice on foot – while the North Muskegon Fire Department’s hovercraft safely speeds upwards of 60 mph across solid or broken ice, keeping first responders above the danger, not in it.

Ice fishermen flock to the frozen waters of Muskegon Lake during winter. And yes, the Muskegon first responders advise, it may be time to “consider the ice fishing season over,” and “time to break out the boats” – but a hovercraft is equally critical as a water rescue tool as it is an ice rescue tool.

The North Muskegon Fire Department recognized that early on, and became a pioneer in using hovercraft for ice and water rescue operations. “Our hovercraft have saved more lives than all our fire engines combined. Since 1985, more than 255 people have been rescued from Muskegon area lakes using the hovercraft. More than half of them would have drowned not having the hovercraft as a safe rescue tool,” says Fire Chief Steve Lague.

Watch the full news report of the Muskegon Lake rescue ...

Fire Departments: See how a hovercraft can dramatically improve

your ice, water, mud and flood rescue operations:

Take a Test Flight or a Training Course on a Neoteric hovercraft -

and learn why Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft are the industry standard ...

Hovercraft Pilot Training: Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, Hammond, Louisiana

Chief Deputy Dennis Pevey along with Captains Stuart Murphy and Robert Bel, emergency responders from the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office in Hammond, Louisiana, spent two days at Neoteric Hovercraft to complete Neoteric's Class III Hovercraft Pilot Training Course. The Parish purchased a Neoteric partially-assembled rescue hovercraft kit with a Homeland Security grant and the Sheriff's Office has nearly completed final assembly of the craft.

Upon arrival at the Wabash River training site, instructor Chris Fitzgerald (third from left) assists Captain Murphy (second from left) in rolling the hovercraft from its trailer, while Captain Bel (left) and Chief Pevey (right) observe:

Fitzgerald and Bel fuel the hovercraft in preparation for launching on the Wabash River ... while a gaggle of unsuspecting Canada geese feed on the river bank:

Fitzgerald reviews the Hovertrek's operational systems before turning the controls over to Chief Pevey for his practice session on the river:

And now, with Pevey at the controls in this video, the hovercraft glides gracefully through practice maneuvers ... while the Canada geese peacefully observe, which testifies to the fact that the Neoteric craft is the quietest light hovercraft on the market!

There are numerous bodies of water in Tangipahoa Parish, including the heavy-current Tangipahoa and Tickfaw Rivers as well as Lakes Ponchartrain and Maurepas, requiring the Sheriff's Office to be well-equipped for rescue operations and towing stranded boaters and fishermen. The Office has at least 8 water rescue vehicles, among them flatboats and an airboat, but the unusual maneuverability of their Neoteric hovercraft will open areas to the first responders that other vehicles can't reach and will save valuable time in reaching victims.