One man's passion for scuba diving has helped form a unique public service.

As a boy Manuel Maendel dreamed of becoming a diver, then as an adult convinced his brother Paul to join him in getting that certification. Turns out, the two brothers had a lot of fun with the sport and decided to obtain Advanced Open Water Diver certification.

"We did some rec dives, some ice dives and did some mock-up searches under the ice," explains Maendel.

Eventually other residents of the Oak Bluff Hutterite Colony became interested and joined the group that dove at the community's gravel pit.

"We actually did some interesting things to make training a little more fun," added Maendel, "Because it's pretty boring under water in a gravel pit."



Over time, the group began to notice situations that came up at Hutterite colonies where children or young people drowned.

"The way Hutterite colonies work," explains Maendel, "Is when there's a tragedy everybody comes together to help out in any possible way they can."

Then one day tragedy struck and members' instinct to help out kicked in and that is when he says the HEART response team was formed.



He goes on to say that on the way home from Poplar Point the group was throwing ideas around of how it could improve training in order to better help out when situations occur.

"So we came up with an acronym. We call ourselves HEART - Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team - to be on the HEART team is to serve with heart."

Those improved skills and desire to help were called upon again this past week when seventeen year old Travis Bauman was pulled under water near a canal dam east of Winkler. HEART was invited by the Bauman family to come by and see if they could lend assistance to the search effort. Teams from local fire departments and the RCMP searched for two days and hadn't yet found the body, in fact the RCMP had called off its efforts.

"We talked about it with our team and said 'Absolutely let's do this, let's go and see what we can do,'" added Maendel. "We showed up in the evening and I did not even know that the RCMP had pulled out...or stopped searching, we just showed up to see if there was anything we could do."

The team suited up and began a search pattern, working for about ninety minutes making its way towards the dam. "We were not able to locate the body, although closer to the dam it is quite dangerous and we know our boundaries, so we did turn around and start searching the other way."

Maendel explains the group used a comb-like formation during this second pass of the canal, feeling the bottom through zero visibility, when one of the members located the body of Travis Bauman.

"I just remember the great sense of joy it brought us to be able to help out in that way," he said, adding that the group feels blessed to have been able to help out and humbled by the experience.

"It brought us closer together, when you go through a traumatic situation it draws people together," explained Maendel. "Even with the community there, the young people were on shore and they were singing songs and they were praying for us, and we felt those prayers. We feel that God led us to be successful in locating Travis."

He goes on to say that the team is quite moved by the fact that God is able to use them, and the gifts he's provided them, to be of blessing to others. "If it brings joy to Him then it's a successful enterprise we're in."

Meantime, last weekend's search effort was only the third time that HEART helped out in such a scenario. Maendel says not only do members have to assess the situation before going in, but they also have to support each other and encourage one another to be brave.

"Talking with our team and how we will react or respond when we do find a body."

What amazes him however, is the peace that comes over the team when it's under water.

"As we're searching we're also praying," says Maendel, "We feel a closeness to God in that situation."

Looking ahead, Maendel has set up a GoFundMe page to help HEART purchase additional and updated equipment in order to better help in situations like the one last weekend.

"We are quite limited with what we have for equipment, we could definitely use a boat or even better equipment to help out in a more suitable way." He adds "We are definitely capable and willing but we're a little short on those resources."