3 Firefighters Injured in Water Rescue

[Monty 35]

From http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29555882/:

Three Buffalo firefighters suffered minor injuries and were hospitalized after they saved the life of a woman who jumped in the icy waters of downtown's Inner Harbor.

Eyewitnesses said the woman climbed over a railing, threw her purse in the water and then dove in.

The three firefighters were taken to a hospital for observation after water filled their protective suits, which were not properly zipped up because rescuers were in a hurry to save the woman, McFeely said.

Sounds like this is a good learning situation - with no serious repercussions.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Perfect example of why to TAKE YOUR TIME gearing up for a cold/ice water rescue call. The victim isn't dead until they are WARM and dead, as any good medic will tell you... The 10 seconds it takes to zip up your suit is NOTHING, people can survive exposure to cold water, even underwater, for unbelievable amounts of time. I've been told that there were times up to an hour in several Ice/Cold Water rescue classes I've taken. SLOW DOWN and put your suit on properly, meaning zip it ALL the way up, and "burp" the suit so that your buoyancy isn't all screwy.

[Guest]

From the news report sounds like they were evaluated and treated for mild hypothermia.

From the picture it looks like they were using the "Gumby" type suits. Even when properly zipped, it is easy to get water leakage down the neck area, especially if struggling and thrashing around in the water as described in the news report.