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by Terry Waldspurger
On the night of Thursday, August 4, 2005, the Rescue Squad’s Boat 8 and Boat 81 were summoned for a water rescue ( Box 60-12) on the Chester River near the Chester River Bridge. An eighteen-year-old male had fallen from the bridge and was unaccounted for. Within minutes both boats had launched from the Chestertown Marina and were actively searching the water at the foot of High Street near the bridge. Also involved in the operation were Stations 3, 5, and 6, the Kent County Dive Team, Paramedic 10, boats from DNR, the Coast Guard, Kent Island, Crumpton, and Queenstown, Troopers 1 and 6, and police. Utilizing lights from above and divers from below, rescue personnel attempted to locate the victim; however, after a few hours it was clear that the mission had become one of recovery rather than rescue. Boats and helicopters continued the search for several more hours to no avail.
(As an aside to the rescue effort, there were three other calls during that extremely busy night that required Ambulance 8-1, which was able to respond to each of these calls despite the draw of manpower and resources needed by the water rescue.)
The next day DNR utilized cadaver dogs in an attempt to locate the body. After the dogs hit on a spot between the bridge and the foot of High Street, Boat 8 was again summoned to both drag the area and take the Dive Team to search it. When dragging revealed that something was indeed resting on the bottom, divers braved 26 feet of black water and successfully located the victim’s body. Although the outcome was not what had been hoped for, the victim’s body was recovered a mere twenty hours after the initial incident, affording the clearly grief-stricken family some measure of closure.
Despite the fact that the initial call occurred close to midnight, many squad members were on the scene immediately. Several more contributed over the course of the next day. Rescue Squad members manned boats, an ambulance, and the special operations trailer. Some dove with and assisted the Kent County Dive Team. Others provided counseling and comfort to family, friends, and volunteers. All in all, Station 8 worked seamlessly and cooperatively with members from many other stations and organizations to achieve an efficient and successful effort.