Guardian angels of Lake Michigan: See the U.S. Coast Guard like never before

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- It's the nightmare scenario: plunging into frigid Lake Michigan and finding yourself trapped in the icy water. Minutes feel like hours as you struggle to keep yourself afloat, while hypothermia inches ever closer. And you're completely, utterly alone. But then, a voice in the distance shouts: "Sir, it's the United States Coast Guard. How long have you been in the water?"

Shortly thereafter, a blur of colors and the world seems to swirl as strong hands swoop in and heave you to safety. Your guardian angels are the members of the United States Coast Guard.

Video of their heroics sometimes goes viral: like the time a Muskegon crew swooped in to save an exhausted kayaker en route from Milwaukee to Michigan. Or the time a Coast Guard rescue swimmer from Traverse City helped guide passengers from a damaged tour boat into shore.

But it's the everyday acts of courage -- far from the watchful eyes of the social media crowds -- that keep these crews ready to save lives at any moment.

"You spend two hours out on the ice in about approximately 45 to 50 pounds of gear, soaking wet," says Colin Beres, Petty Officer Third Class for the United States Coast Guard.

And you thought your daily routine in the winter was rough.

A Milwaukee-based Coast Guard crew let FOX6 News tag along on a recent training day. While actual ice rescues are rare in these parts -- maybe a few a year -- crews drill almost daily, preparing for the wide variety of emergencies they might face.

"People that have been in the water for ten minutes to an hour, whether they're conscious, unconscious, multiple victims, animals," says Peter Boggeln, Petty Officer Second Class for the United States Coast Guard.

Each scenario has a protocol and the team drills it again and again and again. The goal is to make rescues so routine, that in the moment: "You don't even think about it, it's all instinct and habit. Your muscles take over and you just go," says Beres.

And that muscle memory ensures that the team is ready when it counts.