HOLLAND, MI (WHTC) – Over 62 marine students are in Holland this week for the State Marine Academy program hosted by the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.
Sgt. Cal Kuening says the students are from 25 different agencies and have had a least 40 hours of marine related training to get into the Academy. The students will be taught marine law, hands on defensive tactics, emergency rescue/swimming. The students will also attend a mock trial, CPR and First Aid training. Other topics include how to teach boater/water safety classes and vessel inspections making sure vessels have the proper safety equipment on them.
On Friday, May 5, the students will participate in boat handling day at the Yacht Basin Marina. on Ottawa Beach Road in Holland. On this day, the students will break up into different groups and will then go out on different boats and encounter different scenarios they might see while on patrol.
Multiple agencies come out to assist. Other agencies include Allegan County, Kent County, Muskegon County, Michigan DNR and the US Coast Guard. These agencies bring different size water craft to assist in the training.
