NORTH ABINGTON TWP. - It started with a 12-year-old child who had gone missing.
Just hours later, according to the training scenario set up by Lackawanna State Park rangers, two search-and-rescue planes collided over the lake - sending debris into the state park's lake and the surrounding woods.
But when it was all said and done, officials deemed the six-hour training exercise a success, noting that everyone involved left unharmed.
"We are very pleased with how the different agencies worked together," said Richard Bacon, search manager and chief ranger at the park. "It proved to be a very successful training exercise - despite all the curveballs we threw at them."
Ten search-and-rescue dogs and more than 75 responders, including volunteers from local fire departments, emergency services and federal and state park services, took part in the search-and-rescue exercise Sunday at Lacka-wanna State Park.
Starting at 8 a.m., officials alerted emergency responders that a 12-year-old boy had gotten lost in the 3,200-acre state park.
"Our first step, in this situation, was to set up a perimeter of the park and then search the high-probability areas," EMS Director Jad Walther said.
Amid their search for the boy, responders also had to rescue passengers involved in the simulated midair collision and bring an injured EMS responder to safety.
"At a park this large, it's so important to communicate well so that the responders on (foot) know where to go," deputy incident coordinator Jack Zborovian said. "Everyone did a great job of that today."
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