Hovertrek Glides Into Caddo Parish

By land and by water, the Hovertrek made its debut on the Red River. The amphibious vehicle glides above the earth's surface on slightly pressurized air and has an average speed of 35 miles per hour. "It's not like driving a jet ski you aren't touching the water, you are on top of the water. You were able to see us go over the mud flats and so forth", says Lt. Jackie Lewis, Marine Unit. In the past rescue missions could take hours in the northern part of the sand bars because of the terrain, but that is going to be a thing of the past. "It's going to be a lot easier, we've had a few calls on the sand bars and we've had to tow people out by hand because you couldn't get a vehicle out there. You can drive this thing right up to it,” explained Sgt. Donna Jackson, Marine Patrol. The Hovertrek isn't the only new tool in their arsenal; a 25-foot Boston Whaler is now part of the team. It’s fully equipped with an unsinkable hull and a side dive door. Summer, winter, land or water, the deputies are ready for any rescue mission.