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Report and photos by John Spaulding
Last Thursday evening, the Rochester Police Department was called to locate a missing person who was despondent. A friend had called 911 reporting that the person was at the Port of Rochester. As the patrol units did not locate the subject there, they needed to check all of the bridges.
Rochester, New York, is divided in two from north to south by the Genesee River. Having a good working knowledge of the river and its access/bridges is a necessity. The patrol cars began a methodical search. When they reached a park that is at the top of the lower falls and the bottom of the middle falls, they drive down the 1/2 access road.
There they found the subject standing dangerously close to the river on a very old, mud-covered foundation. One of the responding officers was part of the crisis intervention team and made contact via cell phone to attempt to bring her back to shore.
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As the police worked, the Rochester Fire Department (Group 2) was dispatched with a full water rescue assignment with at least one extra truck company. There is not much distance between the middle and lower falls and, with copious amounts of rain, the river was flowing at 6,000 cubic feet per minute. Rochester Gas and Electric can slow water movement at two points on the river normally; because of the increased run off, this was not possible.
Rescue 11 deployed two rescue swimmers to the shore downstream to an eddy where a rescue was possible. Additionally, two harnesses and a compound mechanical advantage system was put into place for a firefighter and the victim.
The daylight turned to darkness. Plans A, B, and C were devised and ready to go including the boat below the lower falls. AMR provided EMS standby services for RFD and the victim. Several portable lights illuminated the rescue swimmers area and where the victim was located.
Hostage negotiators responded to the scene and the victim elected to try and walk back to shore, but after standing in the waterfall mist for two hours the subject’s legs were weak, and the command post decided they needed to effect a rescue.
A firefighter donned all appropriate rope rescue gear and brought a harness and PFD to the victim, then assisted the subject back to shore. AMR transported the victim to a local hospital for evaluation.
This is the type of teamwork, interagency communication, and cooperation that provided a positive outcome without injuries. 911 dispatchers were vital in making notifies and completing requests–an oft-overlooked part of this system.
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