(ABC 6 News) – The Winona Dive Rescue team began its fundraising campaign to purchase a new truck to help with life-saving, water-based rescues.

The old truck has served the team for more than 20 years but recently it started showing its age.

“We have run into a couple of issues over the last couple of years, I can think of one where the truck got stuck when we were trying to pull the boat out, it buried itself in the gravel and we needed to get towed,” Winona County Dive Rescue team member Nora Huxtable said.

Team members are looking for an upgrade, but getting a new truck will be costly.

“A brand-new truck if it had all the bells and whistles, you’re talking close to half a million dollars,” Winona County Dive Rescue fundraising committee chair Caitlin Nicholson said.

This all-volunteer department deals with water-based rescue and emergencies.

The fundraiser gave people the opportunity to learn how important the Dive Rescue team is.

“It was a great opportunity to just get people out here, have something fun to do outside in the middle of November, and get people to understand and know who we are and what we do,” Nicholson said.

Some activities included touring the current truck and riding on one of their boats.

They even allowed you to attempt to pull one of their 6,000-pound boats.

Even though this was the starting point for the year-long campaign, this is also to recruit new members who are interested in joining the team.

“I encourage anybody if they have the skills, or if they’re willing to learn the skills to come out and to meet us and to see what we’re all about,” Huxtable said.

The Winona County Dive Rescue team is hoping to purchase a new truck next year and plans to hold more fundraisers in the future.