‘Nothing is ever rushed’ by dive team when recovering submerged vehicles
Hauling a submerged vehicle out of the Thames River might sound as simple as attaching a line and pulling it out, but a lot of preparation takes place to ensure everything is done safely. The Chatham-Kent Fire & Emergency Services dive team recovered a vehicle on Tuesday afternoon that went into the Thames River on Sunday night. The driver, a 33-year-old London woman, lost control of the vehicle on Townline Road where it meets Grande River Line in Dover Township, west of Chatham, and it slid into the river. “This is probably the riskiest thing we do as a department and it’s done under very tight controls, very high levels of training and procedures,” said assistant chief Chris Case.
He said the recovery of the vehicle involved a day’s planning that included working with police and the tow company and then taking three to four hours to get the vehicle out. Case said the first step is to assess the area, followed by dispatching the CKFES boat that is equipped with sonar to find the vehicle as well as determine if there is any debris around it.
The sonar provides a good insight of what’s under the water, but it still comes down to the experience of the divers, he said. Case said the dive commander discusses the dive with the diver and safety officer to come up with a plan.
“It’s always very methodical, nothing is ever rushed, even in circumstances where we may be searching for a victim, it’s still got to be slow and methodical,” Case said. “The safety of the diver is absolutely paramount.”
He said the dive team is trained year-round in “black water diving ” to work in zero visibility. “This has gone particularly well, it’s gone safely, everybody’s fine,” Case said.