JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – At least six people are still missing and presumed dead after the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, was struck by a cargo ship and immediately collapsed into the water below early Tuesday morning. Two people were pulled from the water.
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News4JAX spoke with local first responders about the technology used to find people stranded in the water and got a behind-the-scenes look at how the marine units for the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) would rescue someone if anything like that ever were to happen here.
Seconds after a ship struck the Francis Scott Key bridge, several people fell into the water below. An active search was still happening Tuesday evening for the six people who were unaccounted for.
An accident like this could happen anywhere.
On Tuesday, News4JAX headed to the Dames Point Bridge with JFRD because it’s the only bridge in the city where a cargo ship could travel underneath, similar to the Key Bridge.
It has protective barriers in place, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said on Tuesday following the tragedy in Maryland.
But if a marine disaster were to happen, multiple JFRD units would respond.
“What you’re going to do is try to find where their last location was. We have a chief that is designated over all of the marine units,” said JFRD captain and spokesman Eric Prosswimmer.
Inside the marine unit, technology helps with search efforts.
“I can use our sonar to identify it and once I drive over it I can pause my sonar,” Lieutenant Harry Strayer explained.
Then they gather data.
“It will give me the exact position and I can use that information and it will give me exact longitude and latitude to get to anybody on recovery,” Strayer said.
The technology can scan waterways for a side and depth view.
JFRD has five marine stations in addition to other vessels for similar search and rescue scenarios.
News4JAX was on a 39-foot boat used by Fire Station 48 on Tuesday. The technology can identify a car, trees and even people. While News4JAX was on the water the sonar tracked four dolphins.
“In addition to the technology inside the marine unit, they also have this thing called a “FLIR.” They look inside of it and it can detect heat signatures at the surface of the water,” Prosswimmer said.
Prosswimmer warns there is an additional danger for Maryland rescue crews: cold weather.
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“One of the issues they’re dealing with is cold water. We don’t have the temperature that they have and that’s a big problem,” he said.
Captain Prosswimmer also said if you find yourself in a situation like this your vehicle goes off of a bridge into the water you have to move fast and make sure that you take into consideration what your next will be to save your life and anyone else in the vehicle with you.
In addition to the current marine units, JFRD is adding another marine unit on Wednesday along the St. Johns River.