Posts Tagged dive rescue

Car into a pond in Deerfield 1-1-12

Jan 2

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, MVA, Reader submission | Comments off

Deerfield Fire responded to a car into a pond last night in the 500 block of Lake-Cook Road. The first arriving police officer was able to step onto the car’s roof, break out the window and assist the driver in getting out of the car. The office sustained cuts to his hand freeing the driver. Apparently, units on the scene were unclear about whether or not there were any other occupants in the car based on what the driver was able to tell them, so a request for divers was initiated.

Highland Park, Northbrook, Lake Forest and Lincolnshire responded with divers who ascertained that there where no other occupants inside the car. The divers hooked the car for the towing company to make the removal.

Tim Olk responded to the incident and submitted several images of the scene.

A late model Mercedes Benz left the roadway and ended up mostly submerged in a pond off Lake-Cook Road in Deerfield on Sunday night. Tim Olk photo

A Deerfield Police sergeant sustained cuts to his hand after climbing onto the roof of the submerged car and breaking out a window to free the driver. Tim Olk photo

Deerfield Engine 20 lights the scene where a driver lost control and drove into a pond. Tim Olk photo

After checking the car for trapped occupants, a fire department diver attaches a chain so the towing company can winch the car out of the water.. Tim Olk photo

A diver stands by to assist the tow driver with hooking the car for removal. Tim Olk photo

The tow truck begins to winches the car from the water. Tim Olk photo

The car is lifted out of the pond by the tow truck. Tim Olk photo

After being pulled from the water, the car is loaded onto the rollback. Tim Olk photo

Tim has a gallery with more images HERE.

Tags: car in the water in Deerfield, car pulled from the water, car submerged in a pond, Dave's Towing company, Deerfield Fire Department, Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District, Dive, dive rescue, dive rescue unit, dive team, Highland Park Fire Department, Lake Forest Fire Department, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District, Northbrook Fire Department, Northbrook Fire Department divers, Tim Olk

Wilmette dive box 8-27-11 update

Aug 28

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, Fire Service News, Reader submission | Comments off

Tim Olk submitted the following images of the recovery efforts at Gillson Park in Wilmette last night.

Wilmette Fire Department MABAS Division 3 divers recover swimmer that drowned 8-27-11

Chicago helicopter 6-8-2 flies overhead in an effort to spot the missing swimmer. Tim Olk photo

Evanston Fire Department divers are met with rough waves as they search for the swimmer. Tim Olk photo

Divers scan the area from the breakwater in addition to others woking in the water. Tim Olk photo

Divers receive instructions from the dive master on the beach regarding the search efforts. Tim Olk photo

An Evanston diver riding a sled pulled by the waverunner is ready to enter the water if they find the lost swimmer. Tim Olk photo

Divers are also stationed on the southern breakwater bounding the area where the swimmer was last seen. Tim Olk photo

The rescue/recovery operation took place over an hour at dusk in Lake Michigan off the beach at Gillson Park near the Wilmette/Evanston border. Tim Olk photo

A Wilmette diver rests after searching in the choppy waters for an hour. Tim Olk photo

The swimmer was found roughly an hour into the rescue operation and was attended to by several paramedics. He was transported from the beach to a waiting Wilmette Fire Department ambulance on a 6x6 ATV and then transported to Evanston Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Tim Olk photo

Tim has a gallery with more images HERE.

Tags: dive recovery, dive rescue, Evanston Fire Department divers, fire department divers, MABAS Division 3 Divers, swimmer drowned in Wilmette, swimmer drowns off Gillson Park, Tim Olk, Wilmette Fire Department

Wilmette dive box 8-27-11

Aug 27

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, Fire Service News, Reader submission | Comments off

updated 9:30PM

The Wilmette Fire Department received a call before 6PM this evening about a swimmer in Lake Michigan who was caught in the heavy currents and disappeared new Gillson Park. When the fire department arrived, they requested divers from throughout Division 3 plus the Coast Guard and a helicopter from the Chicago FIre Department. The helicopter was initially unavailable as Chicago had a rescue of their own in progress. The helicopter was able to make one pass over the area before returning to Midway Airport to refuel.

Wilmette Fire Department swimmer drowns in Lake Michigan 8-27-11

Chicago Fire Department Helicopter 6-8-2 makes a pass over the lakefront in Wilmette trying to spot a swimmer that was in distress. Jeff Rudolph photo

The water was deemed to choppy for divers, so firefighters walked the breakwater and into the surf looking for signs of the swimmer. Evanston responded with their jet skis which enabled divers to venture into the lake. The swimmer’s body was spotted by firefighters walking the beach after more than an hour on-scene, and the jet skis were used to bring the swimmer’s body to shore.

Fire department divers in swift water gear walk in the waters off the beach in Wilmette searching for a missing swimmer. Jeff Rudolph photo

Divers wade through rough waves as others walk the breakwater looking for a swimmer who was overcome by the current. Jeff Rudolph photo

Tim Olk and Jeff Rudolph were on the scene and photographed the operation.

Jeff Rudolph provided the following description:

At the Wilmette Code 4 and dive box at Gillson Park today, a 15 year old male was pulled under by a strong current. Conditions where too severe to put divers under the water, so instead they did walking patterns using pike poles to locate the victim. After 1.5 hrs, the victim was spotted in the surf break by a spotter on shore. The victim was pulled out unresponsive. ALS care was started on the beach and the patient was transported up to Wilmette Ambulance 27. Medics from Wilmette, Deerfield, and Skokie worked on the victim and transported him to Evanston Hospital where he was pronounced. The waverunners used belong to the Evanston FD. Chicago FD Air 1 assisted with an overhead look, but the churned up water was to murkey to see anything.

The Evanston Fire Department wave runner tows a diver along the shoreline in Wilmette on Saturday. Jeff Rudolph photo

A staging officer manages resources as they arrive at Gillson Park to assist the Wilmette Fire Department with rescuing a swimmer in distress. Jeff Rudolph photo

The Chicago Tribune has an article HERE.

A 14-year-old boy died after being pulled from Lake Michigan this evening off of Gillson Park in Wilmette.

The search began sometime after 6 p.m. in the water off the beach near Sheridan Road and MichiganAvenue in the North Shore suburb, and the search ended about 7 p.m. when a male of unknown age was pulled from the water.

A witness saw officials pull the person from the water and put him onto a stretcher while performing CPR. The person was then placed into a Wilmette fire ambulance and taken from the scene.

Wilmette Battalion 26 took command of the scene. Jeff Rudolph photo

Wilmette Fire Department swimmer drowns in Lake Michigan 8-27-11 Wilmette Fire Department Squad 26

Wilmette Squad 26 carries gear for the department divers. Jeff Rudolph photo

Glencoe divers responded with Ambulance 30. Jeff Rudolph photo

The Des Plaines Fire Department Dive Squad 78 and boat. Jeff Rudolph photo

Tags: Chicago Fire Department helicopter 6-8-2, Des Plaines Dive Squad 78, Des Plaines Fire Department, dive rescue, fire department divers, Glencoe Ambulance 30, Glencoe Fire Department, Jeff Rudolph, swimmer drowned in Wilmette, swimmer recovered from Lake Michigan, Tim Olk, US Coast Guard, water recovery, Wilmette Fire Department

Dive response in Downers Grove 7/28/11

Aug 16

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, Fire Service News, Reader submission | Comments off

Stephen Wilcox submitted several images and information about a dive rescue in Downers Grove on July 28, 2011.

This incident occurred 7/28 at 1840 hours at 2111 Butterfield Road (Rt. 56) in Downers Grove. A car left the street and plunged into a lake in front of the office, hotel, and resturant complex. (SW corner of Rt. 56 and I-355.) Two members of the first arriving company made entry seconds after arriving. Tom Christianson and Andy Hoff found a victim outside but next to the car in about ten feet of water. They brought him to shore and he was transported to Good Sam where he was in critical condition.

The path that the car took into the pond. Stephen Wilcox photo

The car traveled over the curb and parkway hitting a bench before plunging into the water. Stephen Wilcox photo

Car & victim found out near what appear to be pontoons about two thirds of the way across the lake. Stephen Wilcox photo

Downers Grove divers Tom Christianson and Andy Hoff relaying information about the dive to other firefighters. Stephen Wilcox photo

The Tribune has an article HERE.

Tags: dive rescue, Downers Grove Fire Department, Stephen Wilcox

Prospect Heights and Division 3 divers search pond for kids 7-6-11

Jul 7

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Department News, Fire Service News | 2 Comments

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.

Prospect Heights dive response Piper Lane 7-4-11

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.

Prospect Heights dive response Piper Lane 7-4-11 side scan sonar

Firefighters take the Kongsberg sonar towards the center of the pond so it can provide a map of the pond floor. Larry Shapiro photo

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

Prospect Heights dive response Piper Lane 7-4-11 Wheeling Fire Department divers Dive Rescue 23

Wheeling Fire Department divers responded to Prospect Heights with Dive Rescue 23 and a boat. Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro and Tim Olk were at the scene and Larry submitted several images.

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.

Tags: dive rescue, dive rescue unit, dive team, fire department divers, Larry Shapiro, MABAS Division 3, MABAS Division 3 Divers, Northbrook Dive Rescue 10, Northbrook Fire Department divers, Prospect Heights Fire Department, side scan sonar, Tim Olk, Wheeling Fire Department, Wheeling Fire Department divers

Palatine dive rescue 3-24-11

Mar 24

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Department News, Fire Service News | Comments off

Harper College submerged car Palatine Fire Department water rescue

The pond on the north side of the Harper College campus where a car was found submerged. Larry Shapiro photo

The Palatine Fire Department was called shortly after noon this afternoon for a reported car in a pond on the Harper College campus. Companies arrived to find only the roof visible of a submerged car with the passenger door open. Divers entered the water and found a woman in the car. She was removed and transported to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights where she was later pronounced dead. The Chicago Tribune has an article HERE and the Daily Herald has one HERE.

A backup diver is ready to enter the water if the primary diver requires assistance while searching the pond at Harper College for additional victims. Larry Shapiro photo

Fire department divers from Palatine, Hoffman Estates, and Schaumburg searched the area for over an hour in the event that there were additional occupants in the car when it entered the water. Elk Grove, Arlington Heights, and Mt. Prospect divers were also on-scene in the event that more personnel were needed. After assisting the police with measurements for their investigation, divers hooked the car so that it could be winched from the water.

A Schaumburg Fire Department diver prepares to perform a secondary search into the submerged car. Larry Shapiro photo

This is from the Harper College website:

News Alert: Shortly before noon on Thursday, March 24, 2011 a car was discovered submerged in a pond next to Parking Lot 12 on the Harper College campus in Palatine, IL. Divers recovered one female occupant of the car who was taken to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights and pronounced dead.

The victim has not been identified. The investigation is being handled jointly by the Harper College Police Department, the Palatine Police Department and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Officer.

http://shapirophotography.net/Rescues%202011.htm

One diver walks the shore as two are submerged checking the area for additional victims. Larry Shapiro phoyo

Larry Shapiro was at the scene and submitted several images plus a video of the winch out. A large gallery of images from the scene can be found HERE.

Palatine Engine 84 supplies water to the Division 1 Decon unit. Each diver that went into the murky water was processed through the decon showers. Larry Shapiro photo