By james art 
Hialeah, FLA. (WSVN) – As the recovery efforts continue on the Potomak River after an airplane at American Airlines collides in the middle of the air with an army black hawk helicopter, divers in South Florida train for emergencies.
7news Cameras was filmed on Thursday members of the Miami-Dad diving team while training at Amelia Erhart Park in Hyalea.
Andy Alvarez, Head of the MDFR Marine Services Bureau, said they wanted to ensure that they were prepared if the airline had to happen in a water body in South Florida in Florida
“It’s extremely risky,” he said.
Alvarez said the time of the day always affects efforts to search for the first answers. There is less clarity in the water at night.
“They have, you know, the environment they have to deal with, and then on top of that have other rescue boats and other people there who do the same thing trying to look for and enchant this body of water , so now this is becoming a hassle for the people who are actually in the water, “he said.
Another big factor is the water temperature. The waters of the Potomak River are currently close to freezing.
“At the freezing temperatures as at the moment, during this incident, they dive [in] About 35 degrees water, “said Chief Abraham Iglesias, an officer responsible for the MDFR diving desk.
With hypothermia, said Iglesias, one can survive an average of 20 to 30 minutes. In the waters of South Florida they have the advantage of warmer temperatures
But officials said the rescue efforts are always fast and precise.
“At the moment, our water temperature is 68 degrees. From the moment we receive our conversation to send, we are trying to make every effort to try to save you within this hour, so we actually try to bring you back, “Iglesias said. “In fact, we have documents of boys who have been submerged under water for more than 25 minutes and we did it with our efforts, not only did we find them, we saved them.”
MDFR officials said their divers usually dive with five to eight kilograms of equipment while they are north, they dive with 25 kilograms of weight, which makes it more challenging
“Inside this dry suit, they have thermal protection, so they have many more equipment and weight that they need to compensate in order to even destroy the surface of the water,” Alvarez said.
As of Thursday night, MDFR officials said they had not been asked to support efforts to restore Yoni in Washington, Columbia, but are ready to help.
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