Air boat to the rescue

Restored air boat will be used on Swan, Middle and other area lakes for rescue missions

By GUY PRIEL

Journal Staff Writer

SWAN LAKE -- Rescue attempts on area lakes, especially during the winter, will be a little easier this year.

With the assistance of the Izaak Walton League of New Ulm and the Nicollet Conservation Club, the Department of Natural Resources restored an old airboat for use at Swan Lake, Middle Lake, and other nearby lakes, which are favorite spots for waterfowl hunters.

"The airboat is a welcome addition to DNR enforcement staff who, in the recent past, have been involved in several search-and- rescue missions on the 10,000-acre lake," DNR spokesman Tom Conroy said. "The rescues are especially hard during dangerously inclement weather conditions."

The boat will be better than a standard boat when it comes to rescuing stranded hunters, especially where there is ice. The airboat can just skim over ice.

"The boat originally belonged to the DNR, but it had a lot of problems and would have cost a lot to repair," Conroy said.

The airboat has been used for 15 years by a conservation officer in LaCrescent, where it was used primarily for work along the Mississippi River drainage basin in southeastern Minnesota.

"We have known for some time that a larger boat was needed in that area, so we waited for one to become available," Conroy said. "This allowed the smaller boat to become available for use here at Swan Lake."

The only other airboat available in Southern Minnesota is stationed at the DNR Lac Qui Parle Wildlife office.

The boat will be operated by Greg Abraham, who patrols the Swan Lake Area. Dave Carpenter of New Ulm and George Smith of the Nicollet Wildlife Office will serve as backups. The conservation officer at the St. Peter station, which is currently vacant, will also be trained in using the boat.

The Izaak Walton League donated $1,200 for engine repair and upkeep. The Nicollet Conservation Club donated $1,000 to replace the boat's propeller. Dan Soehren, an aircraft mechanic at the New Ulm Airport, did the work at a cost well below the estimates.

"The main purpose of the airboat if for search-and-rescue capability within marshy areas," Abraham said. "It is not intended for enforcement patrol efforts."

The boat will be stationed in Nicollet during the fall waterfowl season and in New Ulm the rest of the year.