Strathmore Fire Department’s Rescue Mannequin “Bob” Goes Missing

The Strathmore Fire Department is currently facing an unusual predicament— their latest training recruit, a mannequin affectionately named “Bob,” has mysteriously disappeared. The incident occurred during a water rescue training session on Strathmore Lake this past Wednesday.
Bob, who joined the fire department earlier this year, plays a critical role in water rescue training due to his design that allows him to simulate a person swimming. “Bob is supposed to float from the shoulders up, which means something clearly malfunctioned when he went missing,” explained Fire Chief David Sturgeon. The training exercise on Wednesday involved boat rescues, and it was during these drills that Bob vanished from sight.
The Strathmore Fire Department swiftly turned to social media to alert the local community, humorously noting that “Bob decided not to bob.” Their post not only served as a reminder of water safety but also as an amusing plea for help: “Reminder: always wear a life jacket on the water. Also, we lost our dummy, Bob.”
Described as wearing blue shorts and “taking on a lot of water,” Bob was last seen during training exercises that were complicated by recent rains stirring up the lake waters. “It was like searching in chocolate milk,” said Sturgeon, describing the conditions that thwarted Thursday morning’s search efforts by a diver. With the lake reaching depths of up to 40 feet (12 meters), the search for Bob proved challenging.
The fire department plans to resume the search once the weather clears and the water settles. Meanwhile, they are appealing to anyone who spots “a suspiciously relaxed mannequin taking an unscheduled break” to contact them at 403-934-3022. “There’s a good chance it’s our Bob,” Sturgeon added, emphasizing the importance of the mannequin in their training regimen.
And in a final note of caution, if anyone is unsure whether they’ve found Bob or not, the department advises, “please call 911.” The humorous yet serious nature of the situation underscores the fire department’s commitment to safety and effective training while engaging the community in their unexpected predicament.