55 bodies so far identified after deadly US helicopter-plane collision
By Sunday afternoon, 55 bodies had been identified from last week’s helicopter-passenger plane collision near Reagan Airport in Washington, DC.
DC Fire Chief John Donnelly confirmed that 55 bodies have been identified, but the search of the Potomac River remains challenging. The American Airlines jet had 60 passengers and four crew members on board, while the army helicopter it collided with was carrying three soldiers, for a total of 67. There were no survivors from the crash.
"The visibility is near-zero in the frigid water," he said, adding that the wreckage poses dangers with "sharp debris and twisted metal."
The recovery effort has been extensive, involving nearly every dive team in the area, including the US Coast Guard, the FBI’s Washington Field Office dive team, DC Fire, and the International Association of Fire Fighters, as reported by CNN.
The jet broke apart, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The fuselage was found upside down in three sections in the river, which is about 2.43 meter (8 feet) deep in some areas.
David Hoagland, the head of Washington, DC Firefighters Local 36, told CNN that responders are exhausted, explaining they "crash and fall into really deep sleeps" before waking up to "go back to work and do it again."
He emphasized: "However long it takes, they’re going to be there."
The wreckage in the Potomac has made it especially difficult for dive teams to reach parts of the plane’s fuselage, requiring removal to recover the remaining bodies, Donnelly said.
Teams have been waiting for heavier salvage equipment, which is expected to arrive within the next 24 to 36 hours, Hoagland said Saturday.
He added that crews are preparing for “a pretty complicated operation” on Monday to lift plane parts from the water.
A large crane, previously used for last year’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, will be brought in to help lift sections of the aircraft and recover victims trapped inside.
The Army Corps of Engineers had said the removal of the wreckage will start on Monday, with efforts then transitioning to recovering the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash.
Currently a recovery mission, teams are prioritizing safety and safeguarding evidence for the investigation. Local sources report that the removal of all wreckage is expected to finish by Feb. 12.
