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Videos & Photos |
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Video #8 - Intro From Dive Rescue Team Movie Video #9 - Weakness, Fear, Panic & Rov Video #10 - Communication Operators And Tenders Video #11 - Twilight Zone - Complications Arise |
Video #13 - Helmet Donning - All Hands Video #15 - Initial Suit Testing In Pool Video #16 - Submerged Helicopter Training Video #21 - Equipment Familiarization Video #22 - Jones Falls Tragedy- WJZ-TV
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Homeland Security Drill In the continuing effort to provide security for America's Ports and Seas,a Homeland Security Exercise was conducted during the anniversary of the World Trade Towers Incident. The drill was conducted approximately one nautical mile from the Key Bridge in Chesapeake Bay waterways frequented by heavy vessel traffic. The exercise was a
combined effort by the Baltimore City Fire Department's Dive
Rescue Team, Special Rescue Operations Team, Hazmat Team,
Fireboat Vessels, I.T. Communications, and several Federal,
State, and Local agencies.
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Baltimore Divers Shed Light On Bridge Collapse EWhile divers continue the dangerous search for the dead in Minneapolis, there are divers right here in Baltimore who know firsthand what that's like. It took Baltimore Fire Department divers a week to bring the water taxi to the surface and recover the five who died when it capsized off Fort McHenry three years ago. You're losing body
heat 25 times faster in the water than on the surface.
They're breathing mechanical air, it's dry, so they get
dehydrated much faster. It takes a lot of wear and tear on
the divers," said Chief Joseph Brocato of the Baltimore Fire
Dive Team. Visibility and wreckage were also obstacles in Baltimore. Divers photographed the wreckage on a remote controlled mini-submersible. But before it could be used, targets had to be acquired in a large area of open water, so sonar was brought in. Sonar systems are also being used in Minneapolis, but here the target is huge, unstable and in shallow water. Navy divers are working off air lines running from the surface to a 17-pound enclosed helmet. Alex Demetrick - WJZ-TV
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Body Recovery An autopsy was to be performed today on a man who apparently drowned yesterday while swimming off a pier at Fort Armistead in South Baltimore. The man's name was withheld pending notification of his family. Chief Kevin Cartwright, a city Fire Department spokesman, said the victim and some male friends were fishing in the Patapsco River off the pier about 1 p.m. when the victim decided to go swimming. Moments after entering the water and swimming for a short distance, the victim called for help, Cartwright said. Cartwright could not confirm a report that one of the man's companions entered the water to rescue the man but was unable to find him in the murky water. After receiving a 911 call at 1:17 p.m., a Fire Department dive team, members of the department's Special Rescue Operations Team, a Coast Guard vessel, a city police boat and state Natural Resources Police officers arrived and began searching for the man. At 4:30 p.m.,
Cartwright said, the man's body was found in shallow water
and was taken to the medical examiner's office. Richard Iwrin and Monica Lopossay Baltimore Sunpaper
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Water Rescue A Locust Point man drowned yesterday afternoon while swimming in the Patapsco River off Hull Street, police said. Police identified the man as Steven Maylor, 42, of the 1200 bock Hull St. About 3 p.m., police received a 911 call reporting that a man was swimming in 35 feet of water off the pier at the end of Hull Street and failed to surface, police said. A City Fire Department communications officer said that two city fire boats, a dive rescue team, firefighters and medics responded A short time later, divers pulled Maylor from the river. Medics tried to revive him in the ambulance on the way to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the communications officer said. Maylor was pronounced dead at the hospital. Lt. Reginald Hendrix, a Southern Police District commander, said there were no signs of foul play and that the death was reported as an accidental drowning. An autopsy was to be performed. Hendrix said Maylor was known to swim off the pier frequently. Richard Irwin - Baltimore Sunpaper |
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Water Rescue - Ice Ceiling Baltimore City Fire Department units were dispatched to 711 Eastern Avenue early Wednesday morning around 2am. The response was due to a report of a missing hotel worker last seen in an area near the harbor. Upon arrival, department personnel noticed the hotel worker's unattended equipment next to the sea wall. Though there were no witnesses as to the worker's location, there was a break in the ice in the vicinity of the equipment. Rescue members immediately went into the frigid water with probes in an attempt to locate the missing worker. A Fire Department diver was deployed into the opening in the ice, where he descended to the bottom in search of the missing worker. The worker was located five minutes after the diver left the surface. Life support measures were initiated, and the worker was transported to Shock Trauma at University Hospital.
Additional Mission & Operation Videos Below
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Bildstein & Deems @ Dive Support Training Dive Rescue Team members conducting support training for Fire Department personnel. Members from several specialized units are learning to assist Dive Team members with equipment and procedures.
Additional Mission & Operation Videos Below |
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Biermann & Smith @ Compactor Extraction During a monthly training exercise, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works requested the team to locate and extract a Solar Compactor that was missing and believed to be submerged in the Harbor. With very few clues to go on, the team located the Solar Compactor submerged near the Constellation Pier. Utilizing DPW's heavy lift equipment, the compactor was extracted intact.
Additional Mission & Operation Videos Below
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Lemmon & Dickinson @ Weapon Recovery A weapon was tossed off the bridge of an adjacent county, in a futile attempt to discharge evidence used in criminal activity. The Dive Rescue Team was requested to conduct the operation. The evidence was crucial, so failure was not an option.
Additional Mission & Operation Videos Below |
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Body Recovered In Harbor Divers recover torso, and body parts from the Inner Harbor. Video #19- Recovery of Body Parts In The Inner Harbor |
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Water Taxi Accident A sudden storm overturned a Water Taxi in the shipping lanes of the Patapsco River with 25 people aboard. Two died, and three went missing in 60 feet of bone chilling water with zero visibility, all within eyesight of Fort McHenry. The Dive Team led the largest operation ever conceived by the Baltimore City Fire Dept. It included hundreds of support personnel, as well as countless outside agencies. Despite the vastness of the search area, the uncooperative environment, and the complete blackness at the channel floor, the Dive Team persevered. They located, and recovered all three missing victims, and returned them to their families. May they now rest in peace. Video #2 - NBC-TV, Baltimore Water Taxi Accident
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Liberty Reservoir Extraction - Depth = 115-120ft During the early morning hours as the sun ascended high, the Dive Rescue Team descended upon the Liberty Reservoir. One week earlier a vessel was lost during the rescue of an suicidal individual. The Team's mission was to locate and extract the vessel from the bottom of the Baltimore City Water Supply. Sonar pings read the bottom at 115 to 120 ft. Despite being at half strength with limited platforms, the team planned and executed the operation. Utilizing multiple tonnage lift bags the divers meticulously performed the difficult operation. Once the divers passed the 95 ft mark, they encountered complete darkness with extreme cold temperatures. The vessel was extracted intact, and presented to an astonished and grateful owner. The City of Baltimore was equally appreciative to have the hazardous object removed from its water supply.
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Water Rescue A man in his early 60's jumped in the Baltimore Harbor yesterday for unknown reasons and was rescued by city divers, said Roman Clark, a spokesman for the Fire Department The man, who has not been identified, was sitting on a wall behind the World Trade Center about 7:15am, according to witnesses interviewed by the Fire Department. The man stood, walked to the edge and leapt into the water, Clark said The department received an emergency call at 7:17am. The first rescue workers to arrive saw a coat floating in the water. Using hooks, the rescuers probed the water for the man's body. A team of divers arrived, went into the water and found the man. The man was resuscitated and taken to Mercy Medical Center where he was reported in critical condition. Anne Linskey - Baltimore Sunpaper |
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Vonberger
Vonberger is performing a blackout drill on the surface. He will attempt to disassemble and reassemble a flange and pipe. Then he will perform the same drill below the surface. These are simple drills, but can be very frustrating without the sense of sight. The drill helps prepare the diver for the black water he will encounter. |
| Hayes & Vonberger 350+ lbs of lean, mean Jimmy Hayes propels himself off the rocks and catches Vonberger during swiftwater training in Harford County. It was a successful maneuver as Hayes snatched Vonberger from the grips of the swiftwater, and guided him to the safety of the river bank
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Biermann Biermann is about to descend and enter a vessel to perform a search for individuals, or anything suspicious. The United States Coast Guard requested the Dive Rescue Team to search the vessel. The 50 ft vessel was found partially submerged and unattended hours earlier in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay by the Coast Guard.
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Dive Platform #1 Special Operation Command, Dive Rescue Team, & Flutag personnel stationed on Dive Platform #1 at the Flutag Operation. They were coordinating divers and SRO personnel throughout the enormous event at the Inner Harbor.
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Dickinson @ Lake Ashburton Mystery Sometime during the night a vehicle was able to generate enough speed to fly over a fence and into the reservoir, without touching anything. The vehicle was spotted by Police helicopter during its daily fly over. Burrell made the initial dive to tag the vehicle, gather information, evidence, and verify a deceased individual inside. Dickinson and Britcher followed the tag line in and removed the individual. |
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Lake Ashburton Mystery Rescue #1 & Truck # 12 removed a section of the fence to allow for removal of the vehicle. Tho several scenarios were presented as to how the vehicle was able to enter the water without disturbing anything, no firm consensus was agreed on.
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Chief Ryer Observing Training Division Chief Terry Ryer observing a submerged school bus scenario. He takes a pro-active stance in maintaining the Dive Rescue Team at optimal readiness. |
| Deems, Henderson, Lago, Dickinson During the 2004 July Fire Expo @ the Inner Harbor, the Dive Team and Hazmat Units performed joint exercises. The team is answering questions from the public as they prepare to conduct several hazardous material scenarios |
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Dive Team Members @ Swift Water Training Dive Team Members heading down stream during swift water training. Though sub-surface operations are our forte, the Dive Rescue Team must also be prepared to assist during swift water conditions.
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Lift Bag Recovery Drill - Visibility Only Diver using lift bag during a recovery drill. Lift bags are used only in a lucid environment, because of the serious complications that may arise in black water. When recovering a victim in black water, the diver will use only his extremities. |
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