After the devastating 2019 floods, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office began searching for ways to improve its response during a flood.
The department says the search led to the "SJX Jet Boat."
The sheriff's office says the boat uses an inboard motor on a tunnel hull vessel, which promotes usage in shallow waters where a vessel with outboard motors and a deep V-hull could not travel.
They say when on plane, the SJX Jet Boat can travel in as little as 4 inches of water, and Its engine allows the ship to be effective in all local bodies of water, including the Missouri River.
Last year, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office along with the Papio - Missouri River Natural Resources District, and the Douglas County Attorney’s Office coordinated funding for the purchase of an SJX jet boat for use by the sheriff’s office Nautical Services Unit.
It adds a third boat to the Sheriff's office fleet along with "Boat 1," which primarily responds to incidents on the Missouri River, and "Boat 2," a flat bottom boat with a smaller outboard motor.
The SJX Jet Boat, “Boat 3”, has the power to operate on the Missouri River, area lakes, and the Platte and Elkhorn Rivers depending on water levels.
(Pictures from Papio - Missouri River N-R-D)