New Boats Make Miami Police Real "Contenders" In Shallow Water
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The City of Miami has unveiled a couple of new boats for their marine unit which will make them a real "contender" when it comes to shallow water rescue and enforcement.
"Today we are very proud to announce the City of Miami has been able to procure two shallow draft boats in order to provide better public safety on the waterways" said City of Miami Police Chief Rodolfo Llanes.
Although the department does have rescue boats for larger and deeper bodies of water, their new 25 foot Contender vessels are specifically designed for shallow waters like Blue Lagoon near Miami International Airport which is a very popular spot for small boats, skiers, and personal watercraft.
"This is the first time in recent history the Miami Police Department has this equipment to be able to patrol areas that are shallow," said Llanes.
The new boats will mean a higher level of security for all who enjoy water sports in the area. Unfortunately in Blue Lagoon there have been a number of personal watercraft accidents and deaths.
Last year, Manuel Aponte, 32, was tossed off his personal watercraft and went missing. Rescue crews searched for days before they were able to recover his body.
Llanes said the new boats will allow them to respond much faster and save lives.
"Before we would have to use other law enforcement partners to bring us equipment to be able to conduct rescue operations. Now we have enforcement and rescue operations with our own equipment and response time is much faster" said the chief.
Not only will City of Miami Police be out in Blue Lagoon for rescue operations they will also be out specifically on the weekends when it is very busy.
