Chester FD's water rescue unit called for recovery assist

<span>CHESTER -- The Chester Fire Department's water rescue unit was called to the city's riverfront around 4 p.m. on Monday.</span>

<span>Crews discovered that a white Dodge Ram 3500 hauling a skid loader on a trailer had slid backwards down the boat ramp and ended up in the Mississippi River.</span>

<span>Witnesses at the scene said the truck's driver was preparing to switch the skid loader with a similar one on a barge. </span>

<span>"A vehicle pulling some heavy equipment was staging on the boat ramp to transfer that equipment on to a barge," said Chester Police Chief Ryan Coffey in a text message. "In doing so, the vehicle rolled into the river."</span>

<span>Chester Fire Chief Marty Bert told the Herald Tribune that the driver had parked the truck on the boat ramp when its emergency brake popped out of gear.</span>

<span>"We were told to assist with getting the truck out of the water," Bert said. "We have training with safety, but we don't have training in vehicle recovery in swift water."</span>

<span>The driver was already out of the vehicle when the incident happened and was not injured.</span>

<span>"We would have deployed the (rescue) boat and tried to get in there with them," said Bert, when asked what the rescue procedure would have been if someone had been in the vehicle. "When somebody's life is involved, it's a different situation. Even if we don't have swift water, we'll do what we can safely."</span>

<span>Safety crews stood by as workers with Emling's Towing Service fished the vehicles from the water.</span>

<span>"My job is to make sure all my firemen come home safe and they did," Bert said. "We made the decision not to go into the water because of that."</span>

<span>The spectacle attracted a significant number of onlookers, including a professional photographer who was visiting the area to take photos of the Chester Bridge.</span>

<span>Coffey said no citations were issued in the incident.</span>