Flagler County Sheriffs Office Dive Team Conducts Training at Hospital

PALM COAST, Fla., April 19, 2018 On April 18, the Flagler County Sheriffs Office dive team honed their skills with a training exercise, using metal detectors to conduct a safe underwater search in the retention pond near Interstate-95 at Florida Hospital Flagler.

The Palm Coast hospitals decorative fountain in the retention pond had damage to two bronze nozzles. Weighing 23 pounds each, the nozzles had disappeared to the bottom of the lake.

We are so thankful for our relationship with the Flagler County Sheriffs Office, said John Newman, Florida Hospital Flagler director of facilities. These nozzles are very expensive they cost $1,400 each to be replaced and we are grateful they decided to use this as a training exercise, while at the same time, helping us out and locating these missing pieces.

While recovering the metal fountain pieces, the Flagler County Sheriffs Office dive team used this as an opportunity to undergo more advanced training.

We were happy to help the hospital locate their fountain pieces and turned it into a training exercise, Sheriff Rick Staly said. There is always room to improve. Techniques change, equipment advances, and in order to keep ahead of the curve, we train whenever possible.

The Flagler County Sheriffs Office dive team was not alone in the retention pond, spotting three alligators swimming there as well.

About Florida Hospital Flagler

Florida Hospital Flagler is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses in nine states, serving more than 5 million patients annually. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, Florida Hospital Flagler has 99-beds and is one of the seven Florida Hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties that composes the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital Central Florida Division - North Region has 1,226 beds and more than 7,800 employees.