Career Firefighter/SCUBA Diver Drowns While Searching for Civilian in an Industrialized River—Illinois
2018 09 June 28, 2021 Career Firefighter/SCUBA Diver Drowns While Searching for Civilian in an Industrialized River—Illinois Executive Summary On May 28, 2018, a 46-year-old career firefighter/SCUBA diver drowned while searching for a civilian who fell off of a boat into an industrialized river. At 1951 hours, SCUBA Team 687, Fast Boat 688, Ambulance 66, and Helicopter 682 were dispatched. Two divers (Diver 1 served as a stationary underwater line tender, while Diver 2 searched in a circular pattern) deployed from the fire department helicopter, which hovered about 5 feet above the river. After jumping in, the two divers swam on the surface to a civilian boat to get a last-seen point from the Helicopter makes approach to deploy missing civilian’s party. The two divers then the divers. descended to the bottom and commenced a search. (Courtesy of the fire department.) The dive supervisor arrived at 2005 hours on the south shoreline, then contacted the divers via a underwater radio and directed them to surface to reposition them. During the second dive, the dive supervisor requested an air check, and Diver 1 reported 1400 pounds per square inch (psi) and Diver 2 (the victim) reported 1200 psi. They were instructed to complete their search pattern and surface. The fire department’s fast boat arrived on scene with relief divers. The dive supervisor instructed the fast boat to pick up the helicopter divers and deploy their divers. A police boat that was on scene prior to the fast boat was near the divers when they surfaced, but the fast boat informed the police boat that it would pick up the divers.
[Show full text]