Eagle 1 Crew Assists In Rescue Of Man Stranded In Potomac

On the evening of Sunday, April 26th, Montgomery County fire and rescue units were dispatched to the Potomac River at Pennyfield Lock to rescue a person reported to be in distress in the river. The standard protocol for this type of rescue calls for the Park Police to also send a helicopter. Eagle 1, manned by pilot/sergeant Kevin Chittick and rescue technician/paramedic sergeant Chris Perkins responded. When Eagle 1 arrived, the crew spotted a man who’d apparently been swept about a quarter mile downriver by a swift current and had managed to swim to an island. Since there was no access from the shore, Perkins jumped about five feet from the helicopter while Chittick maintained a hover. Perkins evaluated the man’s condition and found that he was not seriously injured. A Montgomery County fire department boat picked the man up and brought him to shore. The man declined further treatment and transport to a hospital for treatment of a leg injury.