By Ken Robinson
FireRescue1 Associate Editor
GLASGOW, W.Va. — Investigators are underscoring the need for proper cold water PPE in swiftwater rescue operations after a firefighter was thrown from his boat and killed.
Kanawha County, W.Va., Firefighter Donald “Donnie” Adkins drowned March 13 last year after the boat he was riding in crashed into a bridge and capsized, according to a NIOSH firefighter fatality report released Tuesday.
Firefighter Adkins was part of a swiftwater rescue team making a fourth trip upstream to rescue civilians trapped by flood waters.
The motor struck an object below the water and malfunctioned, sending the boat into the main current and crashing into a concrete bridge.
All three firefighters on board were tossed from the boat and into the frigid water.
Two of the firefighters were able to rescue themselves, but Firefighter Adkins’ body was recovered six days later, about four miles from the location of the incident.
Insufficient risk assessment analysis and personal protective equipment not suitable for cold water or flood conditions were contributing factors in the death, according to investigators.
At the time of the crash, all three firefighters were wearing a 3-mm neoprene wetsuit, which consisted of a sleeveless jumpsuit with a 2-mm neoprene full front-zippered wetsuit jacket.
In addition, Firefighter Adkins wore a sleeveless cotton shirt underneath the jacket and a Type-V rescue personal floatation device, along with a red protective helmet.
The two surviving firefighters were also wearing dry suits in addition to their wetsuits, which offered more protection against low temperatures while in the water.
“At colder temperatures, a dry suit with underlying insulating garments provide greater thermal protection than a wet suit,” investigators said.
In both wetsuit and dry suit ensembles, cotton clothing should not be worn underneath, according to NIOSH.
“Cotton holds moisture and does not provide any insulation when wet, unlike wool and some synthetic materials,” the report said.
In addition, investigators point out that wet suits do not protect firefighters against contaminants found in flood water.
“There has been at least one case of a firefighter/rescuer who became infected, and died, as a result of wearing a permeable protective ensemble rather than a body encapsulating drysuit.”