I’m snuggling with my sweetie in a nice toasty waterbed when at 0309 I hear the dreaded Beep, Beep, Beep.
I jump up and grab the insulting little black box and read: “VEH. IN WATER HONEYSUCKLE BEACH 2 SUBJ STILL IN VEH RESPOND ASAP”. Page 2 “VEH IN WATER HONEYSUCKLE BEACH SUBJ STILL IN VEH OVER 10 MIN ROAD IS VERY SLICK USE CAUTION”.
In goes the toothbrush as I get sort of dressed. Kiss the wife and out the door. Into the car and out the driveway but now its HOLY POO, my gear is in the house.
Back in grab it and load the car. Now I’ enroute. Time 0316, way to slow for my liking. It’s 10 miles to the boat ramp with ice and construction along the way. I arrive at 0326 and I’m the fourth diver on scene.
I’m the third suited and I take the safety position. I let the three go as they all need the experience. For one it is his first real rescue and the other two have one or two each.
12 feet down is a Ford Exposition with two young females inside. Both were on the left side, one near the driver’s position and one behind her. A young male was able to escape on his own.
The doors were locked so using a Spring Punch the windows broken and the two gals removed and handed over to medical.
What was troubling was the presence of to child seats in the vehicle. At first you just don’t know if little ones were there or not. They weren’t.
Later I had the FNG do the tow hook-up. It took all the trucks cable plus two long chains to reach it. But during the haul out the vehicle decided to go under the dock.
A second truck arrives and I hook it up and out comes the rig.
About the time the rig comes out we learn that neither gal made it. This sucks. We were well within that “Golden Hour” to the hospital; they were young, healthy, in 39df crystal clear water. We don’t know yet but alcohol may have been involved and may have contributed to their deaths.
There is a disturbing twist to this tragedy I am not at liberty to disclose yet. But when I can I will.
Some people on this forum have called me anal about the way I keep my gear. Maybe I am but I would have been on scene three minutes earlier had it been the way it normally is. In total between four and five minutes were lost because I hadn’t repacked my gear after the dives on Wednesday. I almost did it Friday afternoon but got distracted with other things.
Everything is next to the wood stove right now and will be repacked later today. It doesn’t take many little things to go wrong to FUBAR an operation.
The rescue went well and I’m, as usual, very proud of my teammates. The FNG responded like a pro that has been doing this for years. Not bad for being a diver for less than 6 months. All total we had 6 divers and the team leader on scene. Good responce.
I going to finish sucking down my Hefy with a twist and go back to cuddling. ;D
We are not off to a good start again.
Gary D.
I jump up and grab the insulting little black box and read: “VEH. IN WATER HONEYSUCKLE BEACH 2 SUBJ STILL IN VEH RESPOND ASAP”. Page 2 “VEH IN WATER HONEYSUCKLE BEACH SUBJ STILL IN VEH OVER 10 MIN ROAD IS VERY SLICK USE CAUTION”.
In goes the toothbrush as I get sort of dressed. Kiss the wife and out the door. Into the car and out the driveway but now its HOLY POO, my gear is in the house.
Back in grab it and load the car. Now I’ enroute. Time 0316, way to slow for my liking. It’s 10 miles to the boat ramp with ice and construction along the way. I arrive at 0326 and I’m the fourth diver on scene.
I’m the third suited and I take the safety position. I let the three go as they all need the experience. For one it is his first real rescue and the other two have one or two each.
12 feet down is a Ford Exposition with two young females inside. Both were on the left side, one near the driver’s position and one behind her. A young male was able to escape on his own.
The doors were locked so using a Spring Punch the windows broken and the two gals removed and handed over to medical.
What was troubling was the presence of to child seats in the vehicle. At first you just don’t know if little ones were there or not. They weren’t.
Later I had the FNG do the tow hook-up. It took all the trucks cable plus two long chains to reach it. But during the haul out the vehicle decided to go under the dock.
A second truck arrives and I hook it up and out comes the rig.
About the time the rig comes out we learn that neither gal made it. This sucks. We were well within that “Golden Hour” to the hospital; they were young, healthy, in 39df crystal clear water. We don’t know yet but alcohol may have been involved and may have contributed to their deaths.
There is a disturbing twist to this tragedy I am not at liberty to disclose yet. But when I can I will.
Some people on this forum have called me anal about the way I keep my gear. Maybe I am but I would have been on scene three minutes earlier had it been the way it normally is. In total between four and five minutes were lost because I hadn’t repacked my gear after the dives on Wednesday. I almost did it Friday afternoon but got distracted with other things.
Everything is next to the wood stove right now and will be repacked later today. It doesn’t take many little things to go wrong to FUBAR an operation.
The rescue went well and I’m, as usual, very proud of my teammates. The FNG responded like a pro that has been doing this for years. Not bad for being a diver for less than 6 months. All total we had 6 divers and the team leader on scene. Good responce.
I going to finish sucking down my Hefy with a twist and go back to cuddling. ;D
We are not off to a good start again.
Gary D.
