MD Divers Search Potomac For Bodies After DC Plane Crash

ARLINGTON, VA — Maryland first responders are searching for victims in the Potomac River after Wednesday night's deadly crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Virginia.

Crews no longer believe there are any survivors, so the mission now turns toward recovery. Twenty-eight bodies had been pulled from the Potomac River by 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

American Eagle Flight 5342 had 60 passengers and four crew members onboard when it collided midair with a UH-60 Blackhawk around 8:48 p.m. Wednesday. The Army helicopter had a crew of three and was on a training exercise out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

"The debris field has spread into our jurisdiction," acting Prince George's County Executive Tara H. Jackson said Thursday morning on Facebook. "We're closing the plaza and piers at National Harbor today to further assist with search and rescue."

The Prince George's County Police Department sent marine, dive and aviation units to the scene.

The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department told WUSA9 that it deployed two water rescue resources, one airboat and one rescue boat. The department also sent 12 technical resource personnel and a hazardous materials team to the scene. The county additionally sent a command officer to the unified command with the Washington, D.C. fire department.

"Our personnel are trained for this," Prince George's County Fire Chief Tiffany Green told WUSA9 on Thursday morning. "We're in the water. We're being safe, but there are hazardous conditions."

Green said over 300 responders from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia turned out Wednesday night and "operated seamlessly in unideal conditions."

"It's extremely important," Green told WUSA 9. "We have our mutual aid agreements, and we're able to work together seamlessly as fire departments in the region all on the same page."

The Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service sent crews to fill in at Washington, D.C. stations Wednesday night to backfill units that had responded to the crash.

"One of the first things we learn in the fire service and public safety is discipline," Montgomery County Fire Chief Corey A. Smedley told NBC4 Washington on Thursday morning. "We want to help, but we have to be disciplined on how we approach that help."

NBC4 reported that Montgomery County sent a canteen and rehab unit to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C.

"This is a marathon," Smedley told NBC 4. "We are ready to stand by with our water assets and other assets at their beck and call."

Smedley said a water rescue "is probably the most dangerous incident that we run." Crews are trained, but the stakes are higher during true emergencies.

"It is a bit different. Lives are at stake here," Smedley told NBC 4.

AccuWeather said water temperatures ranged from 33 to 36 degrees in the Potomac River Wednesday night.

"It is so unpredictable, and now with the weather, the ice, and the wind and other debris in the waterway, it is very, very difficult to navigate, but the good news is we train for this. We're prepared for this," Smedley told NBC 4.

Baltimore City Fire Department sent two units to the scene.

"As of last night, the BCFD deployed Squad 26 and our elite Dive Team (8 in total) to assist in search and rescue/recovery efforts in support of the tragic incident at Reagan National Airport. It is an ongoing and developing situation for us, as we are committed to supporting our [regional] partners in times of need," spokesperson John Marsh told Patch in a Thursday morning email.

The Baltimore County Police Department sent marine units, while Anne Arundel County sent firefighters to the disaster site.

"I want to thank all of the first responders, including the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, who acted swiftly, dispatching resources to provide care and support in response to this incident," County Executive Steuart Pittman said Thursday on Facebook. "We trust that federal authorities will conduct a thorough investigation, and we stand ready to support our regional partners in any way necessary."

More on the crash can be found here.

Related:

• Reagan Airport Plane Crash Updates: No Survivors Expected
• Helicopter Asked To Reroute Seconds Before AA Crash: What We Know
• 'I Need You To Land': Audio From Moments Before DC Plane Crash
• Ashburn Ice House Coach Among Airplane Crash Victims
• Who Was On Flight That Crashed Into Potomac: What We Know So Far
• Status Of Survivors Unknown Following Jet Crash At Reagan Airport