When Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District was given lemons, the Rotary Club of Tahoe Douglas made lemonade.  Greg Felton, a Rotarian and former Fire Protection District (FPD) board member, shared with the Rotary Club of Minden the amazing story of how his Rotary club revived a sunken boat that continues to save lives.

 

Until 2018, an 18-foot yellow inflatable boat was the FPD’s only resource to help distressed people on and in the water.  When resources were found to purchase the “most capable boat on the Lake” (the only rescue boat available day and night all year long, a “floating hydrant” that can stream 2000 gallons of water per minute), Tahoe Douglas Rotary bought the old boat to keep it in the County as a backup and for use by Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team.

 

In 2022, a far-worse-than-forecast winter storm beat the new boat against a pier, crushed the outboard engines, punctured the hull, and the boat went down. After surveying the damage, the insurance company opted to fund a new(er) boat rather than reconstruct the “old” one. During that time, the original “banana boat” was put back into service and saved a number of lives. Win #1!

 

The carcass was moved to the Tahoe Keys where it sat up on blocks for more than 9 months, neglected by the new owner who bought the hulk in an insurance auction. Again, the Tahoe Douglas Rotary Club stepped in with a plan. After extended negotiations, Rotary purchased the boat, moved it to Minden where former FPD mechanic Justin Dagenhart repaired, then airplane mechanic Don Bartholomew  (RIP) repainted, the hull. New engines were acquired, the fire pump and V8 that drives it were rebuilt, and all other equipment was refurbished and tested. The Rotary Club funded much of this through fundraisers and community donations, and Douglas County provided the remainder through ARPA funds.

 

Back in the water, and christened Phoenix with “Extra Dry” champagne, she’s now available to any government or non-profit agency in need of a boat (https://tahoelifeboat.org/). Recently, when the FPD’s newest boat was down for maintenance, Phoenix was used in two lifesaving rescues. The little red boat that could have died a sunken death, has been resurrected to again to protect and serve on Lake Tahoe. Win #2!