 |
|
 LACONIA — Teams of divers from the all across the state and Boston resumed the search this morning to recover the body of Laconia Fire Department Lt. Mark Miller who drowned during a training accident at Weirs Beach on Thursday afternoon. Also assisting in the search are the Fish and Game Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Marine Patrol and area dive teams. Fire Chief Ken Erickson said the search will continue until his body is found. Miller, a member of the department for 17 years and fellow department diver JP Hobby were testing new suits when Miller failed to surface. The search resumed this morning after Erickson conducted a briefing for the search personnel at the Weirs Beach station. Gov. Craig Benson was on the scene at daylight to meet with the chief, Miller’s family and to offer whatever state assistance was needed. "This reminds us that everyday firefighters put their lives on the line for the men and women in the state. This is just a reminder of how quickly things can turn around. It’s tough," he said after meeting with the family. "Having you here is a great boost for morale," the chief told the governor. Dive teams from the Boston, Concord, Nashua, Portsmouth and Manchester fire departments responded to the call for all available divers to assist in the recovery. One department crew stayed on the bridge over the channel all night just in case Miller’s body washed out from under the ice and was carried downstream by the current, police said this morning. Rescue personnel from throughout the state converged on Weirs Bay Thursday afternoon and searched for any signs of the firefighter. The search was called off shortly after 6:30 p.m. because of darkness. His colleagues returned to the scene this morning to resume what has been an extremely emotional rescue-turned-recovery effort. "We are going to do everything in our power to get our firefighter home," Erickson said Thursday afternoon, fighting back tears. A search crew made up of divers, medical personnel, police officers and firefighters from all over the state, was halted at approximately 6:35 p.m. — some four hours after the diver was reported missing. Erickson said the members of the local department were training with a new set of dive suits just off the main dock for the Mount Washington cruise ship, when trouble arose around 2:45 p.m. Both Miller and Hobby are experienced divers. The pair was believed to be diving in an area of open water that surrounded the docks and extended out approximately 100 feet to a solid sheet of ice. The open water ran to the shore along the length of the docks, which have electric bubblers keeping the water from freezing solid. Laconia Police Sgt. Steven Clarke — who spoke for Erickson earlier on Thursday — said the pair gave each other a "thumbs-up" sign to surface. He said one man reached the surface to find his partner missing. Despite going back under, the firefighter could not find his partner. A Massachusetts resident, who wished to remain unnamed, said she was walking on the boardwalk when she heard shouts from the docks below. "He was alone and was yelling that his friend was missing," she said. The woman called 911 and firefighters immediately responded to the scene calling all available dive teams in the state to respond. Crews from Chichester, Belmont, Franklin, Tilton-Northfield, Gilford, Meredith, Alton, Barnstead and Gilmanton were all on scene assisting. So too was the state Fish and Game Dive Team and numerous private diving outfits. Officials began by sending teams of boats and divers into the water in the immediate area of the docks. Dan McKenney of Wolfeboro’s Dive Winnipesaukee was among those who assisted in the underwater part of the search effort. He said water temperatures were somewhere in the area of 35 degrees with depths ranging from 20 to 30 feet. He said visibility under the water is between 15 and 20 feet for those searching. Authorities did not say how much air was believed to be in the victim’s tank when he was last seen, but experts said a full tank only lasts around 30 minutes in this weather. xperienced ice-divers on the scene said it can become extremely disorienting when one is under water that is covered with ice. It is for this reason that divers going under the ice are always tethered to a person above the surface. As more crews arrived on the scene they sent firefighters in "dry-suits" out onto the edge of the ice to try to spot the lost diver. The crews fed underwater cameras through holes that they cut with ice-augers. Authorities said there was still 2-3 feet of ice where they were cutting. Searchers also could be seen using metal detectors to patrol the area on the ice. Authorities also positioned a search boat near the head of Paugus Bay near the bridge, where the current is said to flow. The victim’s family and friends stood on the dock and were comforted by firefighters as the search crews worked. City Manager Eileen Cabanel and other top officials also responded to the scene to lend their support. A large crowd of spectators also lined the edge of the boardwalk, as numerous teams flowed up and down the ramp to the Mount Washington dock. Dozens of emergency personnel could be seen all over the water, ice, and docks by the time night fell and the search was temporarily halted for safety reasons. The chief said the state’s fire union has pledged its support with teams from as far away as Boston assisting in today’s effort. McKenney and others who assisted on Thursday said they, too, would likely be back. "If they need us, we’ll be here," he said. Although no official change has been made, the chief said the search is now "basically a recovery effort." The department’s Web site now shows a red, white and blue ribbon beside Miller’s name with the words "We remember." The chief praised the focused efforts of those who assisted in the search on Thursday amid extreme emotions. Fire and police crews were on the scene all night to secure the area. "Until he comes home ... they’ll be there with him," he said. Lifesaving Resources Inc. - www.lifesaving.com - 603/563-8330 |
|