On Tuesday evening at 6:12 PM as Boat crews were leaving Dam 4 from assisting Salvage and Recovery crews working the Barge incident, Our neighbors in Jefferson County began receiving calls for a River Rescue on the Shenandoah River.
Both Washington County and Jefferson County Boats were at Dam 4 in Williamsport and had an extended ETA to the scene, additional Boats from Berkeley Co Wv and Frederick County MD were started as well.
Boat Support 11 w/Bt 11, Support 11-7(Potomac Valley) and Chief 11 arrived first and launched from Lock 34 on the Potomac. Boat 11 headed downstream towards the junction of the Potomac River & Shenandoah River (Know as “The Point”) in Harpers Ferry.
Boat 11 operated by Chief 11 (Otzelberger Jr) found 2 occupants stranded on the river in flood waters. Boat 20-01 (Washington County Dept of Emergency Services – Sharpsburg) soon launched from Lock 34 and headed downstream to Boat 11s location where Bt 20-01 acted as the Safety Boat for Boat 11.
Both Boats due to the high flood waters found in safer to head to the Boat Ramp at “the Point” in Harpers Ferry to drop off both patients and to meet Boat Support 11 and EMS 1812s unit with the Boat trailers.
Once all were safely onshore, Command was terminated and units began to clear the scene.
