I don’t know what I was feeling when I got the page, got into the rig, lit up and headed for the scene. So many things were going through my head and about every other image was an image trapped kids. Then to make it worse every flipping idiot was on the freeway. It should be legal to just shoot people who not only fail to yield to emergency vehicles and flip you off in the process.
I show up at the West end boat ramp with our FNG team member and we throw our gear into the jet boat. We get suited up well before arriving at the scene about 2 minutes later and took the safety diver positions as two other team members were already in the water doing the sweep. The kids had already been removed so we relieved the first two divers. Their report was that it isn’t zero vis but as close as you could get to it.
Later, when it was time to remove the vehicle FNG and I get lined up to do the hook up. I have the cable and he has the chain. We take a bead on the bubbles coming up from the vehicle which are only about 20’ from us. Off we go and I hit the bottom silt after plowing through trees and other natural debris. &&*%#^T I missed a Dodge Durango that was right in front of me which was not on the bottom of the 20’ deep lake but at the 12’ level. I grab FNG and back up the cable through the tree crap to the shore. Take another bead and smack my face on the right rear tire. Must be here this time.
Vis can be much worse but the word DURANGO on the rear hatch could not bee seen in its entirety. I could see DUR, move and see ANG, move again and see the O.
FNG did exactly what I had instructed him to do and did it like a well seasoned veteran. I brought a couple of minor mistakes to his attention and I don’t think they will be repeated. Like zipping up his suit all the way.
After the vehicle recovery we load back up and boat back to our vehicles. So far I’m doing just fine. Nothing personal and mentally treating it like another vehicle recovery. But when we pulled our gear out of the boat there was a Teddy Bear on the deck. Then that empty feeling went through my body and it got real personal. I didn’t see the kids or have anything to do with their recovery but that Teddy Bear mentally put me into the middle of it. FNG about melted as well. What a senseless preventable loss.
Everyone needs to pray for that little innocent girl that is not doing well at all.
