W.Va. Fire Dept. Uses Submarine in Search for Man
Source The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
Recent efforts to find a missing fisherman believed to have drowned in the Monongahela River have been unsuccessful, but firefighters say they'll continue daily walks of the riverbanks.
The Granville Volunteer Fire Department also used a new piece of equipment in the search during the weekend.
Fred McCauley, 62, told his family he was going fishing at Edith B. Barill Riverfront Park in Star City on the afternoon of Feb. 28. He hasn't been seen since. Emergency responders are almost certain that McCauley fell into the Monongahela River that afternoon. His van was found in the parking lot and a fishing pole was found at the end of the pier, his family said. Another pole is missing.
A surveillance video from a nearby business appeared to show the retired coal miner at the end of the pier for 10 to 15 minutes before he disappeared from the shot.
Last week, officials said they were halting the search -- except for the daily walks of the riverbanks -- until McCauley was sighted or they had something else to go on. However, this weekend, they decided to give it another go.
Star City Volunteer Fire Department Chief John Huber said river conditions improved and, as a result, crews were out during the weekend and on Monday. Both Granville Volunteer Fire Department and Mon EMS put boats on the water.
Granville VFD Chief Butch Renner said they tested their new VideoRay in the search Saturday. The small submersible robotic vehicle is operated from above water and can go as far as 131 feet underwater.
"It's just like a submarine, except it has a camera," Renner said.
Renner said the Video-Ray, purchased for about $10,000 with annual town funding, worked very well, allowing them to see underwater fairly clearly despite murky conditions.
Huber said they searched around the dock with boats and scent dogs and looked thoroughly through a debris pile near the dock, but found no sign of McCauley.
He is not sure when they will resume the search with boats.
Copyright 2012 - The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
