Rescue dive team receives donation

BONNERS FERRY — Michael McClaskey, a Vietnam veteran, passed away on Fathers Day, June 16, but he is still finding a way to help the community of Boundary County.

Leatha Lockhart, personal representative of McClaskey’s estate and Red Cross volunteer, donated $3,000 from McClaskey’s estate to the rescue dive team that is part of Boundary Search and Dive Rescue Team (BSDRT). The team is in desperate need of new dive equipment in order to keep the waterway users safe in the Boundary County.

“We sincerely appreciate this donation from the estate of Mike McClaskey, which will allow us to make some much-needed updates to equipment our divers currently use,” said BSDRT Commander Tony Jeppesen. “Much of our gear is pushing the two decade mark, and this helps greatly.”

In a recent training exercise that tested the rescue divers skills by carving pumpkins underwater in the Kootenai River, one of the divers had an equipment malfunction. While this was just a training exercise, it could have occurred during a real rescue scenario, showcasing the importance of reliable equipment — not just for the team members, but also for the potential victims.

“We haven’t spent it yet, but we plan on getting probably three new BCs, which is buoyancy compensators, and three new regulators with computers. That is going to help a lot for the team,” said Boundary County Sheriff Detective and BSDRT team member, Caleb Watts. “During the pumpkin carving, the gear malfunction was because of a BC and regulator, so the new ones will help tremendously.”

Lockhart, who had known McClaskey for seven years and became his friend over that time, spoke about the reason that BSDRT was chosen to receive the funds.

“He never hesitated to help anyone who had a need. I think that was a benevolent path that he walked on after Vietnam,” said Lockhart about McClaskey. “Upon his dying wish — was the balance of his estate to help the people of Boundary County in whatever capacity possible.”

Lockhart said that McClaskey supported organizations that helped other people in the community, and she felt this was a good fit for the funds.

“Personally, it means more than I can probably explain,” said Watts. “In the past it has always been people who donate their time and their own gear to put together a dive team, and in the past, it may or may not have always been people who were trained to the point of rescue.”

Watts explained that the divers were open-water certified, and that they were doing the best that they could under the circumstances.

“To continue a team, to continue the program, continue the safety on the waterways in this community — it is paramount that we have this gear. If we didn’t have it, or we are not looking to the future to get it, there are going to be incidents on the waterways, in our community. We are not going to be able to react quick enough — it is just not going to happen without it,” said Watts. “The $3,000 is a huge step forward.”

The rescue dive team has grown in the past few years and now has close to 10 divers on the team, with six or seven actively diving all the time. They want to continue to grow the team and have the divers certified as Public Safety Divers, but there are multiple certifications that are required to achieve that level. All of this costs money, and BSDRT welcomes any donations to help the divers reach these goals and attain the proper gear.

“There is a huge difference between a rescue diver and a recreational diver. They have to be able to dive year round in basically zero visibility, dive under the ice, and all sorts of things,” said Boundary County Sheriff Dave Kramer. “The goal is getting to that level, and having gear that you know is made for those conditions and reliable, instead of the piecemeal — which we have been doing for so many years.”

McClaskey’s contribution to the program, through his estate, can potentially save lives, which is something that he wanted. Lockhart described him as a “generous and benevolent man,” and that he was always willing to help others, despite suffering from PTSD after being wounded in Vietnam.

“To respond as quick and efficiently, and as trained as possible — it could mean the difference between life and death — so I think it would mean a lot to the families in those situations,” said Watts.

A generous donation from a generous man, continues the legacy of McClaskey, and the help he wanted to extend to the community through first responders.