Motorcycle and Body pulled from flooded creek near Hallsville, TX.
November 11th, 2009
On November 08, 2009, Steve Dankers and members of the ALERT dive team recovered the body of motorcyclist Antwain Chism from Little Cypress Creek north of Hallsville, Texas. Chism’s motorcycle was recovered from the river at 10:30 pm and his body at 11:10 pm.
ALERT was informed that a young man rode his motorcycle off the road into the swift moving water of the swollen Little Cypress Creek and drowned. The Marion County Dive Team had been called but the area was large and they requested help. Steve Dankers suggested the help of Longview Fire Department Dive Team and they also responded.
Marion County Dive Team located the motorcycle before ALERT and Longview F.D. arrived. Due to the cold water and dangerous conditions divers were limited in the amount of time they could search. ALERT and Longview Divers arrived on the scene at 6:50 pm and began the five hour task of locating the victim among all the debris clogging the river bottom. Despite the cold and hazardous conditions, diver’s covered approximately 15,000 square feet in low visibility water with a 0.7-knot current.
ALERT responded to the call from Harrison County Game Warden Javier Quintez and his partner Darren Peeples. They heard about ALERT from Upshur County Game Warden David Pellizzari. The International ALERT Academy appreciates the opportunity to serve their community with emergency service skills.
Click here to view the CBS19 News Report
ALERT dive team members who responded to this incident: Steve Dankers, Joel Talley, Cliff Patrick, Jedediah Backus, Gabriel Flores, Micah Justice, and Trevor Thiel.
Dive Team Recovers Wheelchair
October 20th, 2009
On October 17, 2009, Joel Talley and members of the ALERT dive team recovered a wheelchair for a fisherman at Lake Fork, TX. The dive team responded to a call on October 16 from Wood County Game Warden Kurt Kelly for a fisherman who lost his wheelchair while in a fishing tournament. Mr. Talley and his divers arrived on scene at 4:15 p.m. They searched for several hours in the area the fisherman found the wheelchair’s cushion floating. The team planned to return the next day to expand the search area.
They recovered the wheelchair on October 17 at 6:08 p.m. in 34 feet of water with little to no visibility after 2 hours of searching. The bottom of the lake was relatively clear of debris allowing the option of the Circle Search method. The divers used GPS and buoys to grid off nearly 80,000 square feet. After debriefing and packing up their gear, the ALERT divers were able to return the wheelchair to friends of the fisherman that evening.
Fisherman’s Body Recovered in Lake Fork
September 23rd, 2009
The ALERT Aquatic Unit was returning from assisting flood victims in Wood County near Perryville Saturday September 19, 2009 when Captain Joel Talley received a phone call from Wood County Game Warden Kurt Kelly. He stated that there was a drowned victim in Lake Fork and divers were needed immediately.
After arriving on scene at 3:40 pm, signing in, and gearing up, the ALERT divers were transported across Lake Fork to the Last Seen Point (LSP). Joel was informed that the search for the missing fisherman had begun early Friday morning with sonar equipped boats and divers from various departments. The original search team had narrowed down the search area to a little more than 50 by 50 yards. They also had several locations marked with buoys because of possible targets found by sonar.
Captain Talley sent divers down on three of the buoys to verify reports whether the victim was or wasn’t there. The third team in the water went down to search the highest probable area and found the victim right where he had been seen on sonar. The first ALERT divers started diving at 4:19 pm and the victim was located at 4:49 pm. His body was recovered at 5:00 pm and after the debriefing ALERT cleared the scene at 6:30 pm.
“QUITMAN — The search for a fisherman who fell out of his boat Friday at Lake Fork in Wood County has ended.
Rescue officials were able to locate the body of John Henry Petton Jr., 63, Garland, at approximately 5:50 p.m. Saturday at Dale Creek. …Texas game wardens, the ALERT Academy, Quitman Fire Department, Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Wood County emergency management and the Northeast Texas Dive Team assisted with the search…”
Aquatic Unit in Miami, FL (Spring 2009)
April 9th, 2009
For the last two weeks the Spring Aquatic Unit have been training in Miami, FL.
Near the beginning of the trip we took a break from Underwater Photography class to participate in the NAPD Hull and Seawall class in Ft. Lauderdale. At the end of the Hull inspection the Captain and his crew showed us around the ship.
We finished the Hull class and returned to taking photos under water.
The second week the men went through the Tactical Diver course. It focuses on team work and advanced navigational training.
Aquatics Dive Trip – Athens, Tx
May 27th, 2008
