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As recovery efforts on the Potomac River continue after a collision in the air between an army helicopter and a American Airlines plane On Wednesday night, a rescue diver from Virginia and the firefighter shed light on the challenges that divers can face in the cold waters.
A total of 64 people, including passengers and flight crew members, were aboard Wichita’s 5342 flight To the Reagan National Airport (DCA). Three soldiers were carrying out a training operation in the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk army that came from Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
The 67 people aboard both planes are presumed dead. Until Friday afternoon, the authorities said they had recovered 41 sets of remains and identified 28 of those victims.
“This is amazing. Firefighter and Diver with the Scuba rescue team of Chesterfield Fire & EMS, he told Fox News Digital.
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The emergency response units are looking at the plane of the American Airlines on the Potomac River after the plane approached the Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. A military helicopter crashed with the plane on Wednesday. (Katopodis/getty images)
“But some of this magnitude, you know, to have 67 people to explain, along with two planes and all the debris is that it is incredibly out of common. It is something that, without a doubt, none of them or I could have predicted .
Crockett believes that the recovery mission could last weeks, but is hoping that all victims will be counted in the next few days.
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“Obviously, they are really good progress in a short period of time. But I am sure that the recovery of the victims should be the number one priority … Providing a closure to these families that have lost their loved ones should be The most important.
“Once that is completed, then recover The two planes And then also find most of the rubble of the collision that can in the river, “he added.” That is what will probably take more time … They will look for each piece, every nut and bolt that can possibly for the investigation. “
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The FBI agents are close to the rubble, after a Black Hawk helicopter collided with the 5342 flight of American Airlines while approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River, in Arlington, Virginia, 30 January 2025. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
Crockett said that divers are likely to face a multitude of Challenges on the Potomac RiverWith the greatest visibility of water.
“It will be zero visibility or about zero is that they will immerse themselves, so looking It’s just dark, “he said. “You trust 100% in contact and in your training, you turn to your training to do precise search patterns, so you don’t miss anything. You’re just touching everything you can have in your hands and feel it and trying to identify it.”
Without the ability to see in such a large body of water, Crockett explained that certain technologies such as sonar can help divers detect large objects under water, but added that there are limitations involved.
“At the end of the day, all technology, just gives you a place to look,” he said. “Someone will have to go there to still recover, to verify that this is something related.”
Crockett said the river temperature can also be an obstacle to divers during the recovery mission.
“The water temperature is especially above freezing, what it is, you know, it would be absolutely unbearable jumping without, you know, without the appropriate diving suits,” he said. “Even with the appropriate PPE, you can only remain in that water for so long before you start losing skill in your hands, which would affect your search.”
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Crockett said that “it is not known” how far the remains of the remains can reach.
“The Potomac is huge, you know, from where they are, it goes to hundreds of miles to the Bay of Chesapeake,” he said. “It is a river, so it has a current … That is another factor for divers to enter.”
Crockett explained that The river current It can be a significant factor for several reasons, including divers that need to combat the current “fatigue” as a result, and the flow of water that potentially moves around the remains of the victims and the remains of remains.
“They have a really big job ahead, so I think this is going to spend weeks, because to be thorough, they will be up and down that river by miles looking.” said.
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Search and rescue efforts are seen around a remains site on the Potomac River from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, on Thursday morning, on January 30, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (Carolyn Lanza/Photo Ap)
What originally began as a search and rescue effort on Wednesday became a recovery mission once officials believed There were no survivors.
“Once it has been delivered to a recovery mission … Our goal is to provide that closure,” Crockett said, adding that the families of the victims “must be able to adequately bury their loved one and cry and cry in a way appropriate “.
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Crockett added that if his team were called to help recovery efforts, they would be prepared for the challenge.
“The first family of responders is huge and everyone is always willing,” he said.
Audrey Conklin and Greg Norman of Fox News contributed to this report.
