SafeEmergency

Please be aware that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is inspecting power lines in SW Huntsville with small drones for 2 days. This was previously done with helicopters, but they are using drones this year.

Limestone County Sheriff’s Office Adds New Patrol Boat to Enhance Waterway Safety

The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office is proud to announce the addition of a new patrol vessel to its Marine Unit, significantly enhancing the agency’s ability to protect and serve residents and visitors across Limestone County’s waterways.

The new patrol boat was acquired through a U.S. Coast Guard Port Security Grant administered by the Department of Homeland Security, which covered 75 percent of the vessel’s total cost. The remaining 25 percent was funded through surplus funds from the Sheriff’s Office Fiscal Year 2024 budget, allowing the agency to make this important investment without placing any additional burden on taxpayers.

The vessel is a purpose-built 27-foot Safe Boat Center Console patrol boat designed to provide the speed, reliability, and maneuverability required for modern marine law enforcement operations. The boat is equipped with advanced marine technology, including multi-band GPS, radar, thermal imaging, and side-scanning sonar. These systems will assist deputies with navigation, locating vessels during low-visibility conditions, detecting individuals or objects in the water, and supporting search and rescue or recovery operations.

The addition of this vessel will allow deputies to patrol Limestone County’s waterways more effectively, respond faster to emergencies, and strengthen boating safety efforts throughout the community.

Limestone County’s waterways, particularly along the Tennessee River, continue to see heavy recreational, fishing, and commercial use each year. The new patrol boat will enhance the Sheriff’s Office’s ability to conduct boating safety enforcement, emergency response operations, homeland security missions, and critical search and rescue efforts on the water.

“This vessel represents a major investment in the safety of our community and the future of our Marine Unit,” said Sheriff Joshua McLaughlin. “As Limestone County continues to grow, so does the need for us to have the proper equipment and technology to respond quickly, protect our waterways, and assist those in need. This new patrol boat gives our deputies enhanced capabilities to serve the public safely and effectively, and we are extremely grateful for the support provided through the U.S. Coast Guard Port Security Grant program and the Department of Homeland Security.”

The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to ensuring residents and visitors can enjoy the county’s waterways safely and responsibly. The addition of this patrol vessel will provide a stronger law enforcement presence on the water and enhance public safety for years to come.

Study Guide in Bio.

Treat every gun as if it were loaded, even if told it’s not. Never allow the barrel of a gun to cross paths with any part of body. Antique guns can be less stable & have less built in safety features, some can go off just by dropping. This is a very tragic accident.

A 22-year-old Auburn graduate was fatally shot when her boyfriend’s father was showing her his collection of antique guns, according to new court records.

Whitney Harlow Robeson was shot March 7 at a Trussville home. Jeffrey Scott Towers, 54, is charged with manslaughter in her death.

Robeson’s family on Friday filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Towers.

Read more at the 🔗 in the comments.

Cave Diving is a specialized extra certification for scuba diving, just having a basic or advanced scuba cert does not qualify one for cave diving, which requires using cables and lights to track in and back out and someone to remain in boat. If you are a Scuba Diver who wants to cave dive, first get the cave dive qualification training and follow the rules. This is a sad ending for five divers and was preventable.

The bodies of four missing scuba divers in the Maldives have been located, after an accident in underwater caves killed the group of five Italians last week.

The first body had been found on Friday, in search efforts overseen by Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu.

A Maldives military diver has also died from decompression illness, following recovery efforts that were hampered by bad weather.

Watch OAN on Spectrum and YouTube TV today for more updates.

Some people spend their days running away from emergencies.
EMS professionals run toward them.

During National EMS Week, we’re recognizing the paramedics, EMTs, and emergency medical personnel who show up in moments most people will never fully understand.

Long shifts. Heavy calls. Split-second decisions.
And somehow, they still answer the next one.

To every EMS professional carrying the responsibility of keeping others alive during their hardest moments, thank you for what you do. 🧡