VB’s first respondents discuss the challenges of recovering water as the Navy assists DC – Newsbreak

Naval barges from Virginia Beach support rescue operations in the Potomak River, according to the National Transport Safety Council. The crews are in Washington, Colombia, helping to recover after a commercial aircraft and a military helicopter collided with a deadly crash in the middle Wednesday.

As these rescue operations progress, the News 3 learns more about the challenges that the first water respondents face during search and recovery missions and resources available in Hampton Roads.

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Members of the Virginia Beach Fire Service told News 3 that they have several rescue boats used in various emergencies, often coordinated with other agencies.

“In our area, we have boats in almost every major city, as well as on the coastline of Little Creek. Usually the coastline coordinates all other assets,” said fire captain Andrew White of the Virginia Beach Fire Service. “We work closely with Norfolk and Hampton; we also have EMS assets that have boats in the city.”

The Virginia Beach Fire Service team has been summoned for incidents involving drowning, boats in the disaster, searching and rescuing, and in the past, a helicopter crashed.

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Sonaric equipment, effectively at specific depths, exposure suits and mechanisms for collecting water objects, helps crews to navigate in challenging conditions. However, they face significant obstacles.

“With our side scanning capabilities and sonaries, we can notice an object under the boat, but that does not necessarily mean that it will be in the same place when we return for a second approach,” White said.

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He added that the movement of water, meteorological conditions, scale and debris created difficulties for the first reacting persons, including those at the site of the crash in the Potomak River.

“They are fluctuations in the tides, which can be challenges, especially when divers have to enter the water at certain times,” White explained.

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Often, unpredictable conditions emphasize the importance of training, he said.

“We put an emphasis on training. Just as we always do it, we want to be ready to answer if an incident happens here. , We can soften the incident as effective as possible, “White said.

Julio Cortez/AP

While the crew in Virginia Beach resumed training on Saturday, their thoughts were with families and the first responses who deal with the unimaginable tragedy in Washington, Colombia County, County

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