About 70 U.S. Coast Guard rescue pilots, aircrews and swimmers completed their annual aircrew water survival training in the Crystal Lagoons amenity at the Lago Mar project in Texas.
Thus, the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Houston left behind the waves and the depth of Stewart Beach and attended this special training, which included several activities in the water.
AST1 Zachary Burley said these drills are usually held at Stewart Beach. The Gulf can provide the choppy water the teams sometimes face during actual rescues, but the Gulf does have some disadvantages.
“Waves and wind can move the markers we set up for the swim,” Burley said. “The lagoon allowed us to accurately measure swim distance. Plus, we know the depth so there’s no way someone will be able to touch — they had to swim and tread water. We will know they are prepared.”
The idea of using Lago Mar’s 12-acre crystalline lagoon came after a Coast Guard morale day held there in July in conjunction with the lagoon’s National Sailing Club. After the survival training, participants had a chance to relax at the lagoon.
“It’s a large-scale, controlled environment that is perfect for training exercises as it allows the Coast Guard to create unique and precise challenges for its personnel to further develop skills and abilities”, said Uri Man, chief executive officer of The Lagoon Development Company.
The Lago Mar lagoon spans more than a quarter mile from end to end and has more than a mile of shoreline, making it the largest Crystal Lagoons amenity in the U.S. in terms of length and water shoreline.
Lago Mar is nearly six times larger than the first Crystal Lagoons amenity developed together with Land Tejas, known as Balmoral, located in Humble.
