March 8, 2004
Guardian angels at tragedy?
How fortunate were the victims of the water taxi accident on Saturday off Fort McHenry in Baltimore?
Their vessel capsized as potential rescuers, with access to an emergency vessel suitable for an improvised flip of the overturned water taxi, watched.
If not for the actions of Henry Zecher and other sailors stationed at the Naval Reserve Center at Fort McHenry, about 1,000 feet from the scene of the accident, many more would likely have perished, authorities said.Zecher and 24 other Naval Reservists and career sailors in a combat landing craft arrived at the shuttle within minutes of the accident. It was precious minutes before fire and rescue crews were able to get to the scene.
A wee parallel to the heroism of the World Trade Center firefighters, that is, an example of the manly man's altruism: "Two sailors dived in the water to begin pulling out people. One, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeffrey King, became entangled in ropes after entering the water, so the sailors spent some of their time rescuing one of their own."
"They're real heroes," said a survivor in this Baltimore Sun account. "They're amazing. Many of them were giving us the coats right off their backs."
Lt. Cmdr. Art Eisenstein didn't hesitate to jump in to rescue a floating, unconscious 8-year-old girl.
Bless him and his colleagues.
- posted by jbelliveau at 1:27 PM in The Neighborhood
