Gutwrenching DC plane crash countdown with only 12 HOURS to find victims in freezing 8ft water that can kill in minutes
Search crews attempting to collect all of the dead from the American Airlines aircraft that crashed into a military helicopter will have a difficult task ahead of them.
Emergency services and firefighters have issued a warning that the weather is quite unpredictable and that rain is expected in Washington, DC.
On Wednesday, a Black Hawk helicopter carrying three persons crashed with an American Airlines aircraft arriving at Reagan National Airport.
It is believed that all 64 passengers on board perished when the passenger plane crashed into the frigid Potomac River.
Even though it was a clear night, the collision nevertheless occurred.
Despite the continuous rescue effort, no survivors have been retrieved from the frigid seas.
A chilly weather has affected Washington, DC, with highs of 51 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday.
However, at the time of the collision, the temperature was about 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to experts, those without protective gear will only be able to stay aware in the icy waters for a few minutes.
Dan DePodwin, Senior Director of Forecast Operations at AccuWeather, told Reuters, “The human body’s core temperature rapidly drops at these frigid water temperatures.”
“Exhaustion or unconsciousness can occur in as little as 15 to 30 minutes.”
Rain is predicted for the evening, and temperatures are expected to be low today.
Gusts of up to eighteen miles per hour are possible.
The temperature is expected to drop to as low as 44 degrees Fahrenheit by 9 p.m. local time this evening.
On Friday, however, temperatures will hardly rise above 53 degrees Fahrenheit and there will be some light rain in Washington, DC.
Just after 5:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, the deadly American Airlines aircraft departed Wichita, Kansas, on its way to the nation’s capital.
It struck the Black Hawk Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter mere seconds before it was set to land.
When the accident happened, the copter was on a training mission.
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