Bellevue Scouts ‘rescued’ successfully
Published 2:55 pm Monday, September 13, 2010
Eight Scouts from Bellevue’s Troop 626 were “rescued” by the U.S. Coast Guard on September 11, but it was all part of a training exercise on Whidbey Island.
The Scouts, along with 15 from Troop 4058 in Coupeville, were working to secure their Wilderness Survival Merit Badge, led by Assistant Scoutmaster Clay Miller, former Navy Pilot and Annapolis graduate along with four other adult leaders.
The Scouts learned and demonstrated survival priorities, building an emergency shelter, purifying water, collecting drinking water via transpiration and signaling for assistance to be rescued.
Upon hearing the Coast Guard helicopter, dispatched from the Port Angeles station, the Scouts went into action to light the signal fires to attract attention. Both teams successfully lit their fires and generated the requisite smoke to attract the attention of the Coast Guard helicopter conducting its search pattern above.
Bellevue’s Troop 626 members participating in the training were Igor Banin, Dmytro Banin, Ajay Mohan, Sam Reardon, Gabe Reardon, Joey Peha, Gabe Enberg, who were led by Star Scout Ashwin Mohan.
