ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 22, 1996 TAG: 9602220061
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: PEARISBURG
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
RESCUE SQUAD CAPT. STEVE DAVIS says he hopes there is a state law that could be used to force the teens to pay for labor and expenses after a two-day search in icy waters proved fruitless.
The captain of the Giles Lifesaving and Rescue Squad is upset that rescue divers risked their lives to respond to the reported drowning of a teen-age girl.
The 14-year-old was found alive Tuesday, two days after a friend reported seeing her jump into the New River from a bridge in Pembroke.
Divers "were sucking ice chunks into their mouths trying to breathe," said Steve Davis, the rescue squad captain. "These guys could have died right there on that river. If they'd got hung up in that 38-degree water ... 14 feet down
An investigation into the teen's two-day disappearance continued Wednesday. And while authorities are reluctant to call the report a total hoax just yet, they do say they don't believe the girl was ever in the river, because she couldn't have survived the frigid water for more than a few minutes.
The girl was found after she called a friend. She was bruised and still wearing the clothes she was seen in Sunday.
The friend still maintains that she saw the girl jump.
Investigator Willie Lucas of the county Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that he won't release additional information until Monday. He said he is completing an investigation, continuing to interview witnesses and preparing a report to take to the commonwealth's attorney.
That likely means Garland Spangler, the county's top prosecutor, will decide whether to seek charges against Sara K. English or her 16-year-old friend.
Lucas was reluctant to discuss details of the investigation before it is complete.
"This has taken a big toll on our [Giles] high school here," Lucas said. "Out of respect for our kids ... I don't want to scare our witnesses away."
The rescue operation began when the 16-year-old told authorities she saw English jump Sunday from the Commissary Hill Bridge.
"That particular area has some real swift current and terrific bottom current," which makes swimming in the area difficult even in the summer, he said.
This past week, divers faced bottom temperatures of 38 to 40 degrees in depths of 12 to 14 feet.
Most of those divers were using wet suits because rescue squads and individual divers can't afford - and often don't have a need for - the more expensive dry suits used for colder conditions, Davis said.
"We have no dry suits specifically for diving in cold water. They're super, super expensive," at $850 to $1,000 each, he said.
"We don't historically have enough cold-water drownings ... to justify spending that amount of money."
The swift currents also made it difficult for "chase" boats to navigate up and down the river to pick up divers, who could stay in the water only about four minutes, Davis said.
Besides divers and local law enforcement personnel, a state police helicopter was used for several hours Sunday to help in the search.
Davis said he hopes there is a state law that could be used to make the girls and their families pay for the futile search.
Recouping money for labor and expenses in this case might make others think twice before needlessly endangering rescue teams, he said.
The volunteer Giles squad operates on an annual budget of $96,000, with only $12,600 in county funding, Davis said. The rest of the money is received through fund-raising projects and the county's United Fund.
English spent Tuesday night at Giles Memorial Hospital. Lucas would say only that she is "OK." Janet Fontaine, with whom English had been living recently, said the girl is now hospitalized elsewhere. Fontaine said English sounded "more cheerful" when she spoke with her on the telephone Wednesday, but was still somewhat confused.
Staff writer Lisa Applegate contributed to this story.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 linesby CNB