Neoteric hovercraft rescues scores of canoeists

The U.S. Department of the Interior is crediting a Neoteric hovercraft for 17 different water rescue operations in one week on Wisconsin's St. Croix River that brought 98 people to safety. The hovercraft is owned and operated by the St. Croix Tribal Police ...

The National Park Service said the river had risen six feet from rainstorms and "The combination of high water and debris from last month's windstorm made for difficult navigation." Local media reported that it was "treacherous with many downed trees in the riverways, high water levels, and extremely fast and dangerous currents."

These conditions describe a perfect example of a rescue scenario in which a hovercraft may be the only vehicle capable of saving people's lives. St. Croix Tribal Police Chief Frank Taylor pointed out, "Having the hovercraft is a good resource for us to have and this rescue is a prime example of what can happen when agencies work together."

Rangers prepare for night search operations in the St. Croix Tribal Police
Neoteric hovercraft. National Park Service photo.

Sergeant Warren Tuttle and officer Henry Bearheart are the St. Croix Tribal Police hovercraft operators. On August 5 alone, Tuttle and Bearheart rescued 14 campers and two counselors from YMCA Camp St. Croix when the river's high water and fast current swamped their canoes.

 Warren Tuttle (left) and Henry Bearheart (third from left), St. Croix Tribal Police, receive their Hovercraft Pilot Certification from Neoteric president Chris Fitzgerald (second from left)and Neoteric Law Enforcement Liaison Steve Stafford (right).

Chief Taylor told news media, "I can't say enough about Tuttle and Bearheart, who did an outstanding job of recognizing the dangers of the river, and helped save those campers.”

To read full news coverage of the St. Croix Tribal Police hovercraft water rescues, see:

Swamped canoeists saved

NPS Digest, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

 

U.S. Air Force hovercraft pilot training

Personnel from the Utah Test and Training Range at Hill Air Force Base have completed a week of specialized military pilot training at Neoteric. Among them was Capt. Cory Lingelbach, the UTTR Hovercraft Unit's Chief Trainer, who used one of the base's two Neoteric hovercraft to rescue a downed F-16 pilot who crashed on the Great Salt Lake mudflats, where no other rescue vehicle could travel.

The impact of the $30 million jet, hitting the ground at approximately 300 mph, shattered it into small burning fragments scattered across a vast muddy terrain. The Base's Neoteric craft not only rescued the pilot, who ejected before impact, they also were used in the search and recovery operations.

Below, one of the two Neoteric rescue hovercraft employed by UTTR awaits launch on the Wabash River in Terre Haute, Indiana for training operations. Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald (in vest) briefs Capt. Lingelbach (left) ...

Prior to their hovercraft purchase, when the Range used ATVs and trucks, emergency response times could reach more than three hours. With their Neoteric hovercraft, they can reach victims in minutes. 

Capt. Cory Lingelbach explains, “The conditions under which we operate are very rough. Before we had the hovercraft, we had to recover a downed plane and got six of our ATVs stuck in mudflats, blew engines and lost all the equipment. That was the trigger point to look for alternatives, and after research we found the Neoteric craft to be the most suitable.”

The UTTR training included night water rescue operations. Below, as shown through night vision goggles during a water rescue simulation, the Neoteric hovercraft's unique maneuverability allows immediate access to victims in water rescue operations, as well as operations on difficult terrain such as mud, ice and swiftwater ...

At the end of their week of training, with their hovercraft loaded into their trailer, the military firefighters prepare to return to Hill Air Force Base. From left: Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald presents graduate certificates to Lt. Derek Martinez; Capt. Cory Lingelbach; and Lt. Jonathon Jimenez ...

See a photo gallery of the Air Force hovercraft pilot training