As people watch Houston’s recovery from Hurricane Harvey, one of the biggest challenges emergency service crews face during flooding events are a lack of boats capable of operating in shallow water and where unseen hazards are submerged.

The King County Sheriff’s Office on Friday took possession of a boat that will be used primarily for river rescues and can operate in water as shallow as 3 inches while cruising on plane.

“We can learn a lot from the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey and prepare for flood events right here in King County,” said King County Flood Control District Chair Reagan Dunn in a news release. “This new boat is a vital addition to our Marine Rescue Dive Unit and will be important as we move into flooding season in the next few months.”

“The Marine Rescue Dive Unit is made up of talented and dedicated personnel,” said Sheriff John Urquhart. “This partnership will help them save lives.”

“This boat represents a partnership between the Sheriff’s office and the Flood Control District. It will increase the public safety capacity of the Marine Rescue Dive Unit, and allow the Flood Control District to perform inspections of levees and other flood control sites around the County,” said Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, the Vice Chair of the of the Flood Control District. “It was important to support this investment in emergency preparedness.”

The Flood Control District provided half of the $85,000 needed to purchase the light-weight 21-foot shallow water jet boat that is armed with powerful all-around LED lights for nighttime rescue operations. Equipped with a jet drive, the boat can go places where a propeller (prop) driven boat cannot. The boat also has a tunnel hull design with a special bottom coating that allows it to slide over rocks, logs, sandbars and other underwater hazards while protecting and preventing damage to the hull.

The boat can hold up to six passengers or 3,000 pounds, allowing the transport of needed dive and rescue equipment.

Prior to the purchase of the boat, the Marine Rescue Dive Unit was forced to find a place suitable to put in rescue rafts up-river before floating down-river using oars to reach victims. The new boat will allow dive unit personnel to navigate through rivers and flood waters without fear of becoming stuck or causing disabling damage to the boat.