Ohio Firefighter Back in the Water
HAMILTON, Ohio --
One year after a Hamilton firefighter nearly lost his life during a water training exercise, he returned to take part in another exercise.
Chris Gabbard was trapped underwater for more than 20 minutes after his boat flipped during an April 16, 2007, training exercise, and he spent nearly two months in a hospital.
"Maybe for a brief second I felt a little eerie," said Gabbard, standing on the water-retention dam near the spot where he nearly lost his life.
Firefighter Returns To Site Of Near-Fatal Accident
Another firefighter, John Hansbauer, was also tossed into the chilly water but quickly rescued, and department officials instituted new policies to keep firefighters safe.
Three people must now approve a marking system, and the length of rope between each boat in the exercise was changed.
The exercise ended Thursday without any problems, and Gabbard said he moved one step closer to returning to work at the job he loves.
"No jitters," he said.
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