First responders simulate water rescue during multi-agency drill at Lake Milton

It was only a drill, but the training was real.

On Sunday, several emergency crews staged a mock drowning at Lake Milton State Park as part of a multi-agency water rescue training. The exercise involved the Craig Beach Fire Department, Milton Township Fire Department, Jackson Township Fire Department, the Portage County Water Rescue Team, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, and members of the Trumbull County Water Rescue Team.

The training scenario, led by the Portage County Water Rescue Team, was designed to replicate the urgency and coordination needed in a real-life water emergency. Firefighters and divers worked together both on the water and along the shoreline, practicing communication, equipment use, and search techniques.

Scott Simmons, Commander of the Portage County Water Rescue Team, said the goal was to simulate an actual callout—complete with delayed response times and coordinated search operations.

“Our ultimate goal was to do a scenario like an actual call-out, where we were looking for a victim that we had put out in the water,” Simmons explained. “This lake is going to be really busy here in the next month as Memorial Day starts coming up, so we want to make sure departments know what to do before we get here.”

Craig Beach Fire Chief Anita Metheny echoed the importance of these drills, especially ahead of summer when Lake Milton can see up to 3,000 visitors in a single day depending on the weather.

“Train like you work,” Metheny said. “The more training that you have, the smoother things go when there’s an actual incident.”

She added that having a deeper understanding of what the dive teams do helps smaller departments like hers assist more effectively during real emergencies.

“Every single skill that you have in your belt is a tool, and every tool makes your job a little easier,” Metheny said.

Crews say they hope to never need to use the training, but Sunday’s exercise helps ensure they’ll be ready if the time comes.