Diver details rescue operation after vehicle goes off Parkway East into Monongahela River
A diver who responded to the Monongahela River on Thursday after a woman crashed her vehicle off Interstate 376 and into the icy river detailed the rescue operation.
Eric Capets, a Pittsburgh River Rescue dive instructor, was one of the six divers at the scene on Thursday. Jacinta Stevens was rescued after her vehicle plunged off the Parkway East and into the river. She later died at the hospital.
Investigators said Stevens was submerged in the water for approximately 40 to 60 minutes.
"Cold water is a hindrance to the diver, but it's a blessing for the victim," Capets said. "It extends their chance of survival because the oxygen man goes down. So if we could get a victim under the water, very cold water, out up to, I would say, 90 minutes, maybe even two hours, there's a chance we can bring them back."
He said the car was heavily damaged, but right side up in what the city's EMS chief said was about 20 feet of water. Divers opened the door, grabbed the woman, brought her to the surface and began CPR as she was transported to the hospital.
The dive team is based next to PNC Park at the Pittsburgh River Rescue boathouse. The unit has multiple boats at the facility, but officials said it didn't make sense to use them, partially because of how thick the ice was and partially because of how close this was to the side of the river.
Underwater, Capets said visibility was excellent at 4 feet. Two divers were involved in the first dive to rescue the victim. Capets was part of a solo second dive to make sure there were no additional victims or vehicles. One complicating factor during the rescue mission was the ice above the divers.
"In the case of an emergency, the diver could not come up because there's an ice cap," Capets said. "That's the most dangerous aspect of it. That and the cold water. Your core temperature stays pretty warm. But your hands, you lose a lot of dexterity in your fingers, which makes retrieving a victim very difficult."
