Shortly after 3PM on Weddnesday, Prospect Heights received a 9-1-1 call from a motorist who claimed to see two children in a pond near the Prospect Heights Public Works building in the 500 block of Piper Lane. Police arrived and found an unattended bicycle and no children in the area. Prospect Heights divers and firefighters responded, and upon seeing no children in the area requested a response from all on-duty MABAS Division 3 divers and neighboring mutual-aid divers so that the murky pond could be checked in the event that their were missing children.
A bicycle that might belong to a missing child is seen near a pond which divers are searching in the event that a child has drowned. Larry Shapiro photo
Wheeling Fire Department divers suit up to assist divers from Prospect Heights search a pond where two children were reportedly seen in the water. Larry Shapiro photo
Divers responded from Wheeling, Long Grove, Deerfield, Northbrook, Wilmette, North Maine, Glenview, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Highwood, and Winnetka. Ambulances on the scene were from Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect.
Divers and support personnel check their equipment before the divers enter the water. Larry Shapiro photo
Larry Shapiro and Tim Olk were at the scene and Larry submitted several images.
Several divers went into the water as did a boat with side-scan Kongsberg sonar capable of mapping the pond floor. There was some question as to exactly what was seen by the 9-1-1 caller, and after searching the pond for an hour and examining several images mapped by the sonar, the searches were terminated.
The sonar unit is lowered into the water where the diver will make the necessary adjustments for depth before it can begin to create a map of the pond's bottom. Larry Shapiro photo
Wheeling Fire Department divers responded to Prospect Heights with Dive Rescue 23 and a boat. Larry Shapiro photo
Northbrook Dive Rescue 10 responded with divers and the MABAS Division 3 side-scan soar. Larry Shapiro photo
A gallery with more images can be viewed HERE.
#1 by Scott Peterson on July 8, 2011 - 10:06 AM
Re: The “side scan” sonar pic. That is NOT the side scan unit. That is a KONGSBERG sonar unit. This unit is set to the bottom of the body of water and rotates 360 or whatever angle the operator would like. It is detailed enough to show fingers/toes, guns, etc. This became a MABAS purchase & allocation for Illinois. Elk Grove Village FD was the first FD to own one (two years before MABAS considered purchasing) along with the CPD Marine unit. The side scan is towed behind a boat and produces a completely different picture than this sonar.
#2 by bgshap on July 8, 2011 - 10:14 AM
thanks for the clarification