The six people missing sinceFrancis Scott Key Bridge collapse early Tuesday morning in Baltimore, United States, are now presumed dead. A water rescue expert explains why missions in icy waters are so difficult.
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Using drones, helicopters and divers, the U.S. Coast Guard and Baltimore Fire Department searched for any clues to the people who had fallen into the cold, deep waters of the Patapsco River.
“When you work on a watercourse, all the objects you see on the surface can help. In this case, they are looking for car debris or personal effects,” explains the co-owner of the company Sauvetage Nautique SRS, Charles Arseneault.
However, American authorities announced the end of the rescue mission on Tuesday evening, after several hours of unsuccessful searches.
Hypothermia
The chances of finding anyone alive are now non-existent, more than 24 hours after the bridge collapsed, he emphasizes.
First there is hypothermia, which quickly takes its toll when a person falls into cold waters like those of the Patapsco River.
“Hypothermia greatly reduces the chances of survival. In the field, we talk about the rule of 1-10-1. We have one minute to manage our breathing, 10 minutes of fine motor skills to move, swim and try to hold on to something or reach the edge and one hour before losing consciousness,” specifies Mr. Arseneault.
“Cold water helps with resuscitation because it better preserves vital organs, but after 90 minutes spent underwater, we are no longer recovering corpses,” he adds.
Still prisoners of their vehicle
Charles Arseneault also mentions the difficulties, for motorists who were on the bridge at the time of the collapse, in escaping from their vehicle once in the water.
“When a vehicle sinks and finds itself surrounded by water, the pressure makes it very difficult to open a window to get out. As for opening the door or breaking a window, it’s almost impossible,” he says.
It is therefore a safe bet that the passengers of the five vehicles spotted underwater by the emergency services are still trapped in their passenger compartment.
Remember that two of the eight people who were on the bridge when it collapsed were rescued. One escaped unhurt from the accident, while the second was taken to hospital in “very serious condition”.
