02.02.25 History repeats itself in the Potomac...

      In a purely striped bass way when I think of the Potomac River I think of one of the natal rivers that are a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Sadly, this week the Potomac River was the site of a plane crash between and American Airlines passenger plane and an Army helicopter that killed 67 souls on board. The mid-air collision occurred near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

    It was just a few weeks past the 40th anniversary of Flight 90 that crashed into the Potomac after striking the 14th Street Bridge. Both incidents occurred on the water's boundary between the states of Virginia and Maryland. In that crash 69 people were killed with only one crew member and four passengers surviving. 

     In 1982 there was no cable TV, no social media, and the coverage was only extended beyond the local or national news broadcasts. During major events they would break into local television programming to bring live coverage. 

     During the rescue efforts in 1982 a civilian on his way home from work stopped to see what was going on. it was during the dead of winter and rescuers on land and from the air had been trying to save the five survivors who were trapped and frozen in the Potomac. 

    Lenny Skutnik watched from the shore and later said he couldn't stand to watch the woman struggle and suffer anymore. He decided to jump in the river and swam to save Pricilla Tirado, whose husband and infant son died in the crash. While the efforts of the first responders can't be minimized the actions of Skutnik cannot be overlooked. 

I think the true heros are the everyday people who stop and act, and risk their life, to save another. 

     In addition to the Potomac crash Philadelphia had a crash last night that killed seven. In that crash a medical airplane carrying a 6-year old and five others perished. Sadly, the girl had just completed life-saving medical treatment at the Shriner's Hospital and was returning to Mexico. A woman on the ground perished in that incident. 

It's during these times we must think of the people that are deeply affected by these tragedies and thank God, or whoever our higher power is, that it wasn't you or your loved ones, that have endured such a horrible event.