Journalist follows story into cold Jackson lake

You just can't say no to a bunch of firefighters.

I mean, these guys would lay their life on the line for me if I were trapped in a burning building.

The least I could do was try out their ice rescue suits.

At first I declined, but after the second or third invitation, I couldn't resist. Besides, the other guys looked like they were having a good time floating on Rotary Lake at the Jackson City Park, even if it were just a few degrees above freezing.

The yellow suits are big and bulky, much like you'd imagine a space suit. At first, I thought they looked pretty ridiculous -- big and yellow with big blue gloves -- but no one's trying to run a fashion show, here.

If one life is saved by the use of these suits, I figure the $1,000 per suit is well worth it.

Steve Baugh, the public information director for the fire department, helped me into it.

Every inch of my body was covered except for my nose and my eyes, and I felt like I was prepared to go into some top-secret chemistry lab.

One of the firefighters hooked a rope onto me, just in case. I started to float towards the middle of the lake, I suppose. Later, I learned, it was easier to be reeled in than to try to "swim" back.

Everything appeared safe, and no one was coming back to the shore shivering. Plus, how could you be scared with a dozen or so firefighters watching you?

As I stepped into the water, I did so carefully. The rocks on the edge of the lake were slippery and the boot part of the suit was about five sizes too big for my size 10 1/2 foot.

"Careful, those rocks are pretty slick," warned one firefighter.

I slipped and fell anyway.

As I walked deeper into the water, something happened that I didn't expect. The inside of the suit swelled up with air and squeezed every inch of my body, like one big blood-pressure test. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't exactly comfortable.

Plus, because part of the suit covered my mouth, I couldn't talk.

When the firefighters asked what I thought, I responded with "hih hih hihe hooo." Translation: "This is pretty cool."

They couldn't understand me, so I gave a big thumbs up.

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127