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Dangerous Water Rescue; Commuters Trapped in Cars as Water Rages
Aired December 23, 2008 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, good morning, John, and good morning, everybody out there.
Boy, we are watching some unbelievable television here and thankfully so far, the authorities that are involved with Montgomery County fire department and also the Maryland state police who have been operating the helicopters that have gone in and done some of these rescues from this water main break that you are looking at on your screen have been absolutely phenomenal.
When you look at this, it looks a little bit like we're talking about, you know, a major flooding situation, but can you believe this is a water main break? And, again, we are talking about the area near Bethesda and Potomac, Maryland.
If you are a golfer or you are familiar with Congressional Country Club, a very famous club, obviously, Tiger Woods has played, this is right around the corner from there. And the reason that you are seeing this flow of massive water moving like it is, is because it's a 96-foot -- pardon me, 96-inch water main, about a four-foot wall of water now that these people are having to deal with.
And according to Montgomery County fire department, there's about a dozen people who are involved in this. Several rescues, as we have been saying, have already taken place and now, again, another precarious position, an image that we are looking at of someone involved, I believe that's the Maryland state police, once again, now in a boat trying to get to some people, because we are aware of at least one person trapped who is still trapped in the vehicle.
And it's that white sort of SUV there behind the black vehicle where we can still see a person inside on the driver's side. So obviously they are trying to get to that person as well.
And again, just a few minutes ago, we watched a truly, one of the most incredible rescues that I have seen on live television of a -- I believe it was a woman and a child. The basket came down blowing all over the place, like you see that boat blowing right now. They tried to put some weight, we believe, inside the basket before putting a child who -- you know, just doesn't weigh very much in there.
Want to go ahead and show it to you now. Boy, that is a small child trying to grab on to that and get inside that basket. Not something that anyone would want to do. So they threw a couple of -- it looks like backpacks to me. I think they were just trying to -- they were trying to put some weight in it before the child got in. And then also we saw the adult get in and get out safely.
Truly remarkable.
On the left-hand side of your screen, you are looking at the live images coming in again from our affiliate there WJLA in between Potomac and Bethesda, Maryland. They are going to attempt that man in the boat to get to a person in that white vehicle that is still in a really, really frightening position.
I want to bring in Rob Marciano now who is watching all this.
You know, when we first saw this, we thought this was a weather event. We came right over to you and come to find out this is a water main. And apparently in this area, it happens quite a bit.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, what's shocking -- of course, first thing you did was think, hey, when's the last time they had rain, which is a while ago and then, too, how much rain did they had and how long has it been.
So when you see water rushing this quickly, you're thinking it has to be some sort of spill way, some sort of dam maybe that broke, but like you said, it's a huge water main and then a decent amount of grade as this thing -- pretty much this road kind of parallels the Potomac River a few miles to the north and east of it.
And that kind of water running on that kind of grade is going to move fairly rapidly. And it's pretty amazing to me, Heidi, that those cars have not moved.
COLLINS: Yes, exactly.
MARCIANO: I mean, it typically only takes, you know, 10, 12 inches of water to lift a 1500-pound vehicle and those things have remained steadfast. So that -- that part of the story has been good.
COLLINS: Yes. Yes, because we're talking about a street. I mean this is just a road. It's not like there is a bunch of rocks or, you know, boulders or something that you would often find in a river type situation, or sticks or debris that would hold them in place.
I actually have absolutely no idea why those cars aren't sliding right on down along with really fast-moving current there.
Again, we are continuing to watch this incredible rescue situation. There is at least that we know of one person inside that white vehicle that you see at the bottom of your screen that the authorities are trying to get to.
And I believe we're talking about Montgomery County fire department and the Maryland state police there. At least that's what we have seen written on the helicopters that are above. We know of at least two that are in operation here, trying to get these people safely to what is now considered shore.
Because, again, probably the weather side of this, Rob, would it not be, perhaps, the freezing cold weather? I mean when you're talking about a water main break, it has been phenomenally cold there.
MARCIANO: Temperatures right now are in the teens. So regardless of what the water temperatures are, obviously above freezing, but probably not much warmer than, you know, 40 or 50 degrees.
Regardless of that, you get -- any temperature water on you when the air temperature is in the teens, you're talking about some serious chill there. So any time you guys want to, maybe, split screen it and give folks a little bit of the lay of the land, we can slide over to Google Earth. These pictures, I know, are very dramatic.
I assume, Heidi, this flat -- swift water rescue boat is tied to something up the road where there's dry land.
COLLINS: Yes, I can see the tie is right there anchored away to, I imagine, possibly, to something that's a whole lot more stable, obviously, I'm sure there.
MARCIANO: So he's got the bow pointed, well, what would be upstream, or uproad into the flow of the water and desperately trying to maneuver in some capacity, a flat water boat which doesn't have a whole lot of steering capabilities as it is. So he's kind of at the will -- of currents there and the way of the road affects those currents and it's going to be interesting to see.
So we have one person still in that white car.
COLLINS: At least one that I have seen and you can see the person every now and then moving around a little bit. It looks to be like sort of a gray or a beige jacket on the driver's side of that white vehicle.
Images now, zeroing in on the person who's attempting to get to that person or -- or perhaps more people inside that white vehicle there. And as you can imagine, you watch him waving his arms and yelling, how difficult it would be to hear and to communicate with the other rescuers.
Obviously, he is feeling like this is not the best way to go about it, reaching up now for something in order to try and get a -- more stable field before going down to that person. But it's interesting to me as well that they are not trying to get to that person with a helicopter and another basket as the first rescue.
MARCIANO: Yes, because the first rescue, I -- quite honestly, that was incredibly impressive that -- what seemed to be a mother and her child were able to maneuver themselves out of that car, and here you see the replay on the left part of your screen.
COLLINS: It's unreal.
MARCIANO: Grab that -- the basket, managed to get her young -- what looks to be a young son or a child into that basket without the door interfering with it, without it being blown away, and successfully managing to get herself into the basket as well. I mean that sort of maneuvering, coupled with the pilot's skill of keeping the aircraft steady over a pretty narrowed road. I mean there's trees on either side of this road. It's not like he's directly above this car. He has a fair amount of altitude that he had to navigate.
And she was able to get both herself and her son into that basket and they were able to carry it away. But...
COLLINS: Yes, and you know, it's difficult too, Rob -- pardon me, but with the way that the rotor comes down and creates that incredible extra wall of water, that may have been, perhaps, why they decided to go a different route here because, again, that rescue that we saw, and how difficult it must have been...
MARCIANO: Yes. But...
COLLINS: ... to go into the basket with the extra rotor wash coming up on top of them is phenomenal.
I guess, we have our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, on the line with us now.
And Barbara, I understand you have been able to learn a little bit more from Maryland state police, is that right?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Heidi. We've just spoken to the Maryland state police, and they're telling us that they got the call for this situation at 7:55 this morning here in the metropolitan Washington area, and that the initial call they got was that there was a 60-inch wide diameter break in a water main, in fact, which sent this four-foot -- initially a four-foot wall of water down River Road.
Now as you see it's certainly been spreading. There are two Maryland state helicopters operating in the air that we have seen. What they're telling us is the helicopter portion of this operation is being conducted by Maryland state police. And as I think we've had on our air a few moments ago, it is the local Montgomery County police and fire department that is operating...
COLLINS: Right.
STARR: ... on the ground in this water rescue that we continue to see unfolding on the air.
You know -- as you know, Heidi, here in the metropolitan Washington area, a lot of the local police fire departments, Maryland state police, the National Guard are very well trained in these types of situations. We have the Potomac River running right through our area, always a swift current there. People get into trouble on that river.
So the local first responder communities are very well trained for this. But even this morning, within moments, the Maryland state -- the Maryland National Guard was telling us that they were watching closely, they were ready to jump on their helicopters and help if needed.
What we're still trying to determine and the police and the state police are trying to determine exactly how many people got caught in this situation this morning when that water main broke. This was described to me a few moments ago by a state official as truly a life and limb situation unfolding live on the air -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Absolutely. And it's always very precarious for us as well as a television network here to make sure that we are very careful with the pictures that we show and we decide to put on television so we are operating obviously under those very sensitive conditions here and continue to look at the pictures because there are still people trapped in those vehicles and trying to make sure that they get out in the very safest way.
Barbara, I'm not sure if you were able to see the actual rescue that took place with the helicopter operated by the Maryland state police, but truly some of the most remarkable with all of your military coverage as well. You have seen these helicopters in action and boy...
STARR: I think we're all...
COLLINS: ... I haven't seen that before.
STARR: Right. I think we are all just absolutely riveted, as you say, very sensitive. These people's families may well be watching on the air. These cars are recognizable, of course, to someone, so it is a very sensitive situation.
You know, we are watching this unfold in a -- in a community, in a very civilian situation, but, you know, these are the types of things that first responders and the National Guard and, in fact, the U.S. military train for all of the time.
COLLINS: Sure.
STARR: I think for all of us, the situation in Katrina, Hurricane Katrina, when we saw the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy conduct water rescue after water rescue to try and get people to safety. That's what comes to mind, but when you look right now at the current, the swift current that has not abated now for many, many minutes, that these people are operating in and these local responders also, obviously, risking their own lives to try and save these people.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely.
STARR: It really catches your throat, I think, Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes. And we are talking about state and local responders here in the state, obviously, of Maryland.
Again, just to remind you, we're talking about an area near Bethesda and Potomac, just north of the beltway, if you're familiar with that, if you're a golfer, if you're familiar with Congressional Country Club. This is River Road that runs through there. And boy, oh, boy, that is absolutely true, as far as what these first responders are going through right now, really having a difficult, difficult time getting to what may be, and again we are continually being updating on this -- updated on this, as you can imagine. This is certainly a developing story.
There's the water main break, quickly, before we talk more about the white vehicle and the people who are still inside, but once again, as we just heard, not only from Montgomery County fire department, but also from our Barbara Starr, originally, this was a four-foot wall of water that came blasting out of this huge water main break, apparently, several inches long. I have 96.
Again, they may not even know exactly how big of a break that they're dealing with, but what they do know is how fast that water is moving and the situation that they're in now in order to try and get the rest of the people out of these cars.
Originally, we were told there are about a dozen people who are involved. Not sure if that meant a dozen cars or a dozen people total. I can't imagine how they would have known right off the bat how many people were in each one of the cars.
But just as a reminder, if you're just tuning in, on the left- hand side of your screen is that rescue that we have been talking about out of that black vehicle done by the Maryland state police there. Two people inside, the first which we believe is a young child just by the body type. It looks like a small child and then probably a parent with that child, lifted right out of the water there and to safety. An excellent, excellent job by them.
Again, back now to these live pictures from your affiliate there, WJLA.
We continue to watch this, and Rob, I don't know. I would never be able to venture a guess at how fast that water is moving.
MARCIANO: You know, I -- I look at this and I think about all the flash flood situations that we encounter throughout the year and flash flooding is far and above the number one weather related killer of people across the globe.
It -- they call it flash floods because it happens in a flash, happens very rapidly, typically in a mountainous area where the water just runs down the canyon and sweeps people off their -- off their feet or -- out from under their cars and we often do not see video of flash floods, but you are pretty much...
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: ... witnessing a man-made, induced flash flood down River Road there northwest of D.C. and it continues to pour down, Heidi. I suppose they're working feverishly to try to find whatever the emergency shutoff valve is for that water main. As you mentioned, 60 or so inches in diameter, that is just, that is just massive. And the cold weather may have -- may very well have, you know, aided the break of that water main, especially if it's not very deep. The deeper these pipes are, the more insulated they are, and when you talk about temperatures that have been in the teens and single numbers...
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: ... for several days.
COLLINS: We're talking about hypothermia here, too. I mean, a serious medical situation.
MARCIANO: Yes, these guys are all done up in their dry suits, but obviously the people who are in their cars needing to be rescued are not, and the sooner they get them out of there the better.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely.
MARCIANO: I'm curious -- what do we have? A fire engine?
COLLINS: Yes, a fire truck that's been able to get out there at least a little bit closer to one of the vehicles there.
Quickly, we want to take a minute to bring in Mike Brooks. He's a CNN security expert and, maybe even more importantly in this case, a former Washington, D.C. police officer.
Hey, Mike, tell us a little bit more, not only about this area, but I imagine that you have been involved in many different rescue attempts, not sure if anything like this. But these pictures that we are looking at really are unbelievable in that they are just trying right now to find the best way to get these people out of these cars and to safety.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: They really are. And guys, in fact, besides the -- police department side of things, I used to be with the Fairfax County, Virginia. I was an assistant chief at the Fairfax, Virginia fire rescue, and we used to teach swift water rescue.
So Montgomery County has a -- has one of the best programs. You're looking at some of the best and the brightest. But right now it's very, very difficult just because of this rushing water. And again, the commuters inside the cars. And you're talking about a lot of different elements that they're having to deal with and one of those is the cold.
But it's really (INAUDIBLE) to try to get somebody down, you know -- I mean this is a road. This is a water main break. I mean we're not talking about, you know, a regular body of water. This is something that's been created because of the water main break, so you've got people downstream and you say, OK, what am I going to try to do? You -- we saw earlier a rescue they tried to make from the air with a basket...
COLLINS: Yes.
BROOKS: ... from Maryland state helicopter. Now you've got this, you've got this one rescuer and they're trying to come up with a plan on -- on OK, how am I going to get into this car?
COLLINS: Well, and, Mike, I -- I'm assuming that you can see exactly what we are seeing on the air right now and the viewers at home.
BROOKS: Yes. Yes.
COLLINS: Obviously, this rescuer is tethered. We see that -- the cables coming off of his back, so his body is tethered, The boat is tethered and now he's trying to get a third rope, maybe it's even a fourth, off to the person or persons inside these vehicles. Looks like he's trying to double check now for the black vehicle that there might be other people inside there as well.
BROOKS: And one of the other things, Heidi, is, you know, the vehicles are not stable themselves.
COLLINS: No.
BROOKS: So that's what they're dealing with. There's no way to stabilize these two -- these vehicles that you see here, so he's just trying to hold on to the car because there's a possibility that that car could move, that white car could move and the black SUV could also, move putting him in danger, and that's one thing you don't want to do. You don't want to try to get yourself in another -- in another situation. But this is the best they have to work with.
COLLINS: You know and I wonder, too, earlier when we watched the other rescue, Mike, there was a whole lot of it seemed like difficulty that was added on or into this situation because of the rotor wash from the -- from the helicopters above. They were very lucky to be able to get those people inside.
Is that perhaps why they are going this route now with the boat instead?
BROOKS: Well -- that could be one of the factors. The other -- what it is -- the factor is that, you know, because you saw and looking at the picture on your left, you're absolutely right, because the rotor wash is -- pretty serious there.
But one of the other things is, you never know what other obstacles that they have for the helicopter, because you're in, you're in an urban setting. It's not like you're out in the middle of -- out in the middle of nowhere, and you're trying to drop this basket down.
And now as we see, the rescuer, he's trying to get over now, He's -- kind of put the boat above him to try to -- try to talk to the person inside the vehicle and try to get that person out, because we see at least three tether lines that they have for that vehicle.
That's -- Cabin John, that's engine -- that's company 10. There, Cabin John, and these are people that deal with this kind of thing all the time on the Potomac River which is just next to where they are.
COLLINS: Yes, but Mike, how -- and look, there are people inside obviously, or he wouldn't have been spending so much time trying to get them out.
BROOKS: Right. Absolutely.
COLLINS: How is he even standing? How is he even standing in that water?
BROOKS: Well, he -- he's putting the little John boat, if you will, between the rushing water and the other cars, kind of -- I mean this guy -- you see him putting some line inside the car. With them (INAUDIBLE) attached a safety line to this person inside that car.
So if they do get out and something does happen, at least they'll have that person also tethered so if something -- so if the boat flips over or he gets in trouble again, at least they'll have a tether line on that person inside the car.
COLLINS: Yes, absolutely. And you just have no idea, we will hear probably just a little minute who could be inside that car. You know, you think about children, you think about elderly people. I just -- you know, I just, I just can't see well enough, but obviously this rescue now going on. There's a -- is that a small child on top or -- if he's been able to get, as you can see, life vests on, it looks like anyway to me, as they're loading the people...
BROOKS: Yes.
COLLINS: ... now into...
BROOKS: Yes.
COLLINS: ... or the one person into the boat there, Mike.
BROOKS: Right. And you always try to get a life jacket on someone like that just in case something happens and at least they'll have some kind of flotation device on -- on themselves to keep them above water or at least try to keep them above water, but they're now getting in the boat and then they will to, I guess, hopefully pull that person, that boat against the current back over to where they are now.
Keep in mind, there are other rescuers down -- I want to say downriver, it's not even downriver, but down water, if you will.
COLLINS: Down the street, yes.
BROOKS: Yes, down the street from them. So if something does happens, they will be able to possibly snag those people as they come by. But this guy, this rescuers, this man or woman, they definitely know what they're doing. They're in contact, also constantly, Heidi, with people on shore via radio on exactly what they're going to be doing, and before they do anything, they let the incident commander know what's going on. COLLINS: He's using both of his hands, though, so that's exactly what I was going to ask you about. How they're communicating. It looks to me like they're doing -- you know a whole lot of yelling as well, trying got -- I just imagined that would be another part of this rescue that would be so difficult, just communicating with...
BROOKS: It is.
COLLINS: ... the other rescuers and the people inside trying to tell them what to do.
BROOKS: Yes, because it (INAUDIBLE) you know, as people -- as our viewers will know, also know, when you're around rushing water like that, there's a lot of noise. Now he's going over to the other car now, trying to get everybody out and into that boat so they don't have to make more than one trip. So, you know, that's -- that's right now what they're trying to do.
COLLINS: Yes. He goes and gets a life vest immediately and gives it to the person. He's only got one, not sure if that's all he had left, but that may indicate that there's just one person inside that white vehicle.
Moments ago we were not even aware that there was anyone inside the black vehicle. But just to update you, quickly, in case you did not see it. There was someone inside, that person has now been taken out of that black vehicle that you see with the flashers on there and put inside the boat.
And he is waiting now for this -- next rescue to happen before they attempt to move the boat and get the boat basically to the side of the street because once again, we are talking about a street here. (INAUDIBLE) of what you may see on television, this is not a river, this is River Road, ironically, right outside Potomac and Bethesda, or in between, I should say, just north of the beltway.
BROOKS: Yes, it is one of the -- those major roads around, you know, from Washington, D.C. all the way out to Montgomery County. And then that's what we're -- Heidi, we're talking in Montgomery County, Maryland in Cabin John, right on River Road.
And again, the Montgomery County fire and rescue, the people you're looking at, looking at doing this rescue, is a member of the Montgomery County fire and rescue. Now it looks like the number that I saw on the boat is from Cabin John fire department.
COLLINS: All right. Well, the work that they're doing -- and what we are seeing on live television here is -- truly phenomenal. You just can't say enough about it, getting yet another person inside that boat safely, you got to get them sitting down obviously before they can then move out of that area with all three of those lines that you see, not only on the rescue, but also on the boat to stabilize it.
And now you see him motioning and they will attempt, Mike, if you're still with me...
BROOKS: Yes.
COLLINS: ... they will attempt to move that boat to the side of the street now?
BROOKS: Well, looks like -- you know, Heidi, this is so dangerous. You figure about 10 inches of water can rush through like this, during a swift water rescue, it can displace over 1,000 pounds, so there is so much water and so much pressure on these cars as that swift water is coming down the street.
Now they're going to try to get everyone in there and they can, because we saw one other time when the shot from our affiliate WJLA widened out. There were other cars there, too. But he's going to get as many people in that boat again. And then they're going to try to get that boat against the current back to where the other rescuers are.
COLLINS: Yes. You know, I'm just amazed, and Rob Marciano and I were talking about this as well as to how those vehicles below the boat there have not moved with all of that water rushing under beneath.
MARCIANO: You know, Mike, I kind of...
BROOKS: Yes.
MARCIANO: It's -- this is dramatic now as it is -- so he just let go -- let the people being rescued go in that boat and now they're being maneuvered by folks who are presumably upstream?
BROOKS: Yes, exactly. And once you, once you get off the side of that, I mean, that's -- there's a lot of pressure as you know, Rob, on those boats -- on that boat right now and they're going to try to get that boat back upstream, but it's not looking real good right now, you know.
MARCIANO: Well, they may very well try to just get them off on to what would be...
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: ... the impromptu river bank there.
BROOKS: Exactly. Exactly. And here you see rescuers coming down there now and they're trying to get another -- looks like another day, another tag line, but they're probably just telling them just to stay where they are and, you know, they're going to do the best they can to try to get them up off of that -- off river road, basically.
COLLINS: Look at that. I mean it's amazing. That's all the further that they had to go in order to get to the side of the street there -- and out of harm's way. I mean obviously this is not over yet, but it was just a few feet. You can still see the tail end of that black vehicle.
BROOKS: Yes. COLLINS: ... where one of them came out of. They just needed to scoot to the side a tiny but the difference between the ground, obviously, that rushing, rushing water and just one step away you've got solid ground.
BROOKS: You do and you see the other rescuer from Montgomery County fire and rescue up there, getting them on. He went and got a line himself just in case something did happen. But he's getting them up on that -- as Rob was saying that impromptu river bank if you will.
MARCIANO: So, Mike, it really impressed me, they got a chopper in for rescue number one, then they -- for whatever reason, they thought rescue number two, we're going to go in there with the boat and we're going to hand pick these folks and get them over to the side of the bank.
The way that rescuer maneuvered that boat in order to block and deflect the current stabilized it and then get those people into the boat.
I know these guys train, Mike. I know you guys train for stuff similar to this, but how much of this strategy is thought up on the fly?
BROOKS: A lot. You say a lot of it is thought up on the fly. You take the basics of what you know about swift water rescue, water rescue and then you just kind of, you kind of just do what you can with the conditions you're presented with.
And, you know, it's -- amazing, these guys, that guy did one hell of a job, if I could say, by blocking that -- using the boat to block the current and get those people, because, as Heidi was saying, the rotor wash was really, I think, really affecting the rescue from the helicopter from before.
But these guys train all the time. I mean if you knew the conditions that they deal with on a regular basis during the summertime and in winter time up on the Potomac River, between Cabin John and Chain Bridge. They deal with conditions like this stuff constantly dealing all the time with swift water rescue.
COLLINS: Yes, and we probably should not underestimate the added conditions, the difficulty to the conditions when we're talking about the cold, cold weather. I mean this is not a very nice day, apparently, and Rob, this is a question for you, this morning some of the wire reports I'm looking at here say that in the area it was well below freezing.
So we're having to deal with...
MARCIANO: It still is, yes.
COLLINS: ... with -- yes, cold water and being cold when you're out there and your body just doesn't work the way you want it to sometimes. MARCIANO: Mike, I'm sure you can speak to that. I mean you're just -- you know, working a rope, working a car door, when these guys almost freezing water and you know, thrown on top of your body which is in sub freezing air. I mean...
BROOKS: Exactly, I mean, anything below 70 degrees in the water, yes, that when you -- that's when you start to become hypothermic faster that any - than any other time. It's 7 degrees below is considered, you know, cold water, if you will.
MARCIANO: What are these guys wearing to protect themselves against the elements?
BROOKS: They all have probably polypropylene underneath. And then they have dried suits and other times, you know, sometimes I know when we used to do the cold water rescue in the Potomac River, when I was with Metropolitan Police.
We would use the stern suits, the fully encapsulated stern suits. You know, with only - the only exposed was your face. But these guys have on, have on dry suits and polyprop underneath.
And you know, they're -- they've got the best equipment that's available, guarantee you.
COLLINS: Yes, and you know, I don't want to jump the gun here, but it looks like just from the way that people are moving and some of the body language we're seeing that things have started to calm a bit. Certainly not the water.
And that's my question, who's working on the water main? Obviously this would be a public works type of emergency.
BROOKS: Yes, that's the -- WSSC runs the water or is charged of the water flaw in Maryland. That's Washington suburban (INAUDIBLE) commission out in Montgomery County. So they're ones right now. They're trying to get the water cut off, but this is a, again, a serious water main is not like something you see normally (INAUDIBLE) with a five-inch main, this is a very, very large main that runs along River Road.
COLLINS: Yes, 66-inch is what one of the wire reports is reporting.
Hey, Mike, tell me, now that we have, we believe and again, I don't want to jump the gun, because we're watching it just as people are watching it at home here, that everybody could be out of these vehicles and they are now by the side of the street, but what happens next?
I mean they've got to be evaluated medically, obviously, yes?
BROOKS: Absolutely. I mean that's one of the things -- they've been in their car, they probably haven't -- you know -- I know they probably haven't had the heat on. And now you've got the one rescuer now, it's going to become a rescue of the rescuer that we're seeing now.
But what they're going to do is you got to take these people probably to suburban hospital which is a short distance away and have them evaluated or just have them evaluated by the paramedics on the scene there by Montgomery County fire and rescue.
Again, one of the things you always worry about is hypothermia especially in conditions such as this.
COLLINS: Yes, no question about it. Probably a good time right now to update everybody who may just be tuning in as to what you are seeing on your screen here, because we have been working on this story and showing these pictures to you now for about an hour and a half or so, at least we know that's when the call came in to this area.
Maryland state police and the Montgomery County fire department. We're talking about a 66-inch water main break, just a massive wall of water, four people, we're told, came plunging down this area known as River Road. It's near Bethesda and Potomac, Maryland.
A dozen cars have been involved in this. We have seen several rescues take place, one just a couple of seconds ago. One person in two different cars there. And prior to that, and I believe that's what you may be seeing on the left-hand side of your screen. A little bit difficult for me to see, too. Actually, that's live -- these are two live shots coming in from our different affiliates there in the area.
But earlier in the day, maybe about 30 minutes or so ago, we watched the rescue happen of the small child and perhaps a parent who jumped into the basket with the helicopter flying overhead. Truly unbelievable when you're talking about the conditions that they are having to deal with.
And just to let you know, something is being handed to me right now. Maryland National Guard is also on the scene. Previous to that, we had been learning that it was a state and local police working so hard on this. They put a UH-60, it's Blackhawk that is configured with a hoist system. So they put that sort of on stand in case there are other people that they are not aware of, I imagine, or in case the situation deteriorates.
Because we still have -- and Rob, you are seeing this with me -- a lot of rescuers in the area. We see that gentleman right there calling now for some more reinforcements. So, apparently, perhaps, or is this not -- yes, this is still live -- perhaps trying to get back into that vehicle there. There maybe more people. We are just not sure at this time, but unbelievable rescue work with water moving so very fast like that.
And we've also been talking with our Mike Brooks, who was our security analyst, who was an expert in swift water rescue. So thank goodness that we have him today, because it is truly unbelievable what these guys are working with.
MARCIANO: So, Mike, now this guy is either waiting to rescue somebody else, or as you mentioned, he may very well be waiting to be rescued himself. He's about in a little less than knee-deep water. I guess, you shouldn't even bother trying to walk when the water is running that quickly and it's that deep?
BROOKS: No. As I said, 10 inches of water, Rob, can displace over 1,000 pounds, when it's going at a current even less than this. So, you know, many times we see, you know, out in the Midwest, we have issues with you covering the weather all the time, we see people getting stranded in water even not this deep.
So what he's trying to do now, maybe they're trying to maneuver that rescue boat back over again, because he's holding on to that car, and he's tethered. And you know, one of the things when you're dealing with a rescue, you always tether -- I always like to get tethered in front. Because you get tethered in the back, you can always go face down and, you know, something happens.
COLLINS: Yes. That's a very good point. And Mike and Rob, stick with me, because just for a moment here, we want to bring in someone who is on the line with us. Patrol officer in Montgomery County Rockville, Maryland, to be exact.
Forgive me, we do not have -- we are waiting to learn a little bit more about the coordination that's going on here, Mike, because we have talk about that throughout the morning here, and how difficult it must be for these guys to communicate in all of these rescue coordination. And I'm also getting a bit of an update, too.
I have been saying that 12 cars were involved, which very possibly may be the case because it's difficult to see the whole street right now. Because we've seen -- basically, we have a road littered with these cars that are just stranded in this four-foot wall of water. But there have been, according to Montgomery County, 12 people that have been rescued so far. So the work that they're doing, again, just incredible.
BROOKS: Yes. And, you know, Montgomery County both their fire and rescue and the Montgomery County Police Department, they deal with these sort of things all the time, because on the Potomac River, which is just a very, very short distance from where this is taking place. It looks like a river and they've been flowing (INAUDIBLE). Potomac is flowing right now probably. But they deal with a situation like this all the time with people getting stranded on the rocks. You know, people did wonder -- bench out into the Potomac. So they train on a regular basis. But you're not going to see conditions like this all the time because of the cold water that they're dealing with.
COLLINS: Yes. It might be a good idea right now. I'm not sure we can do it. But I know Rob has been working to show a little bit more of a map of the area. Because we don't want to assume that everybody is very familiar with this area. But it might be a good idea to get that up right now. Is this Google Earth?
MARCIANO: Yes, it's Google Earth. We do have some weather observations -- current weather observe superimposed on here. I should give you an idea of the temperatures which are really right around 20 degrees. So what you're looking at now, that's the Potomac, Cabin John area, there's congressional. And I think that's where Tiger Woods holds his golf tournaments every year.
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: And here's River Road. So, basically, the water is running down the road which is now a river. Paralleling the Potomac and doing so in a pretty big hurry. So pretty woodsy area, although pretty nice, obviously with the golf course there.
And Mike, you know, what's amazing to me is that these cars haven't moved. I would be worried about the black car which is heavier than the white car being moved and then taking that white car out. So it amazed me that he was able to get the extra victim out of that black car and then get another victim out of the white car with either one of those moving.
What goes through your mind when you try to analyze -- OK, is this car going to give way? Is this one support that I have going to be moved downstream in a hurry.
BROOKS: That's something you're always dealing with. Especially, you know, I mean, you can't -- no, he couldn't get any cribbing or anything out there to stabilize those vehicles. You know, put any chops under the wheel. But, as you see, he's positioned himself now. That one rescuer has positioned himself, so if that car did move, at least he would be -- he have a little leeway to get out of the way.
And you see the engine company, downriver, as I call it -- you know, as we're calling it today, from Cabin John, and they are the ones who were keeping an eye on him. And you know, you've got the pipe holes and the hooks out there so if something does happen, they could hopefully snatch him as he came by in that swift water because that water is moving really fast.
But one of the things that you did -- that I guess is a kind of a plus, Rob, is you know, at least you can see your obstructions. Because when you're dealing with swift water rescue, many times you can't see the underwater obstructions. Here, at least, you know you've got pretty smooth street, and the only obstructions you have are your cars.
COLLINS: Yes. We're not really talking about water that's incredibly deep. I mean, we have seen the rescuers standing in it. So at least we're not having to watch them swim around in this water --
BROOKS: Right.
COLLINS: You know, be trying to rescue, because obviously that would add a whole another dimension.
BROOKS: Oh, absolutely. And you see the engine company that's there -- the one car right up against the end of the engine company. And one of the things I have to say that Montgomery County has done with their engine companies that deal in water around the Potomac is having to do with the exhaust. Because, you know, the engine -- your cars will cut out because of the water rushing around.
What they've done is they have these engine companies that have the exhaust up above grade if you will, up above the cab so the water won't cut out. That's why their -- that engine company is able to get out in fairly deep water here, and kind of be your command and control of this situation.
MARCIANO: Mike, you got a different departments that are involved in this. You've got the State Troopers, you've got the National Guard, I believe, was just a rolling in, and you've got the fire department. Do they all train? Is there one governing body that trains for swift water rescue or do each of these departments have their own techniques and own training?
BROOKS: Well, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue trains all the time, I can tell you, with Maryland state police. Because Maryland state police is the initial component, if you will, in that particular area. So if something happens on the Potomac River or any place else, Maryland state police is the -- that's their aviation component.
Then you've got U.S. Park Police, which also work closely with Montgomery County Fire & rescue in D.C., Arlington and Fairfax. U.s. Parks also has an aviation unit that could assist in these particular -- in kind of cases because right next to there, you have the (INAUDIBLE) Canal. It runs between basically River Road and the Potomac River, and that's under the interior department and that's what U.S. Park police falls under is U.S. Interior. So they all train together on a regular basis when you're dealing with situations like this.
COLLINS: Yes. And Mike, speaking of that, and all the coordination and the training and so forth, we have someone who I might be able to speak to a little bit on the line as well.
Mike Love is with Montgomery County Fire & Rescue joining us now.
Mike, can you hear me, OK?
VOICE OF MIKE LOVE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND FIRE & RESCUE: Yes.
COLLINS: Talk to us a little bit about that training, as we continue to watch this pictures coming in of this incredible rescue that's taking place near Potomac and Bethesda, Maryland. These pictures coming in from our affiliate there, WJLA. And again, we are now seeing another basket coming down. It looks like they're using the helicopters from above, Mike?
LOVE: Yes. Normally, we will deal with the natural elements of our streams, creeks and the river. Potomac River was mentioned earlier. In that particular area, we have what we would call fast water or rapid water where we have the falls -- as the elevation decreases between the mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, and it compresses into a smaller area. It creates a tremendous rapids area there, and our teams are very highly qualified and practice on that river every week.
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: Yes, go right ahead, Mike.
LOVE: Yes, what this is is we see the rescuer now -- we see Montgomery County there look like U.S. park police in that particular helicopter. In fact it looks like it's a D.C. -- U.S. park police helicopter right there that's rescuing the --
(CROSSTALK)
BROOKS: Normally, U.S. park police is our primary assistance in that are on the river because that is their jurisdiction, and they train all the time with us. (OFF-MIKE), and you have seen those baskets. People are rescuing people (INAUDIBLE).
Well, Heidi, if you recall back in the early days, U.S. park police was instrumental in a crash of Air Florida, when it hit the 14th Street Bridge. People have seen documentaries about the U.S. park police. You know, in this area, we had the other rescue early on was with Maryland State. That's all their chopper. But U.S. park police, they are, again, some of the best and the brightest when it comes to --
COLLINS: Yes, no question about that. Just a little confusing, guys, because we have two mikes on the line. Sorry about that. We actually have ** now is -- can show a little bit more information on what will happen next as we continue to see these rescues take place. Not really sure at this point, Steve.
And maybe you can update us on how many people may be left in some of these vehicles because clearly, they're still very concerned and they are still looking inside the cars. Also, we would love to know a little bit more information if we could and if you have it about this water main. And what's going to be happening, because we still see quite a bit of water just pouring out of there.
LOVE: Ms. Collins?
COLLINS: Yes, can you hear me?
LOVE: Yes, ma'am.
COLLINS: Go right ahead, Steven. Just give us what you have.
LOVE: We have at least 12 rescues so far. It is unknown how many more people are involved or still in their cars.
COLLINS: OK. How about the water main? Does anyone have the status on who may be working on that, and what the situation is there? Because we're looking at some close pictures of it right now. It looks to me a little bit like the flow has slowed a bit, at least where the break has happened. I think this is a 66-inch water main, yes?
LOVE: It's a 66-inch water main, so it's bigger than your average one.
COLLINS: And we're talking about how many feet of water that had just come gushing out of that?
LOVE: Reports have that it was four feet high and about 60 to 70 feet wide, going down River Road.
COLLINS: OK, what happens next, Steve, with regard to the water main?
LOVE: The number one thing is getting that water shut off so we can get to those cars and search those cars thoroughly for any occupants.
COLLINS: Is there any idea as to when that will happen? Or are there -- you know, it's difficult for us to see, obviously. We are looking at pictures of the cars themselves and not really exactly where that water main has broken. So there may be people working on that or how does it happen?
LOVE: They're working on the water main. And we're hoping that we can get to that as soon as possible, because we're dealing with sub-thermal temperatures right now.
COLLINS: Yes, no question. And that is part of the problem here, obviously. I imagine, too, Steve, that that water flow is going to decrease before it just shuts off, right? Or are we going to potentially see some more dramatic pictures here of all of a sudden, you know, no more water coming out of there all together? How does that work?
LOVE: It will decrease, and when it's shut off, there will be some residual water coming out, then eventually it will stop.
COLLINS: Sure. OK. Well, we sure do appreciate your information as well. And boy, Rob Marciano, here with me now as well.
Twelve rescues have taken place. We have seen a few of them live on the air, and so incredibly dramatic in this area, River Road, between Bethesda and Potomac. Once again, this is area near Congressional Country Club. Zoom out a little bit with some of these pictures that we're looking at coming in to the CNN NEWSROOM. And you can see a wider view of River Road. Again, if you are just joining us, it looks like a river right now, but it really is a street.
MARCIANO: That's for sure, with a lot of water on it right now. And I suppose as we look at this wider shot for some perspective, the one good thing about it being winter, and there's probably only one, because with it being 20 degrees, and they're trying to make a swift water rescue, that's a really nasty scenario.
But you've got good visibility not only because the sun is out, but also the leaves, there's no foliage on the trees. So that does give the air support a little bit greater visibility when you're looking in from so. So try to put a little bit of silver lining on the fact. But these guys are battling a torrent of water in 20-degree air temperatures. That couldn't be a more nasty situation.
COLLINS: And as we continue to look at the live pictures, because now I imagine what will be happening, and as we have been talking with Mike Brooks who has gone through all of this swift water training back in his days of being a police officer in the area here, the exact area that we're talking about. They will be evaluating everybody who they have been able to get out of these cars for their medical condition.
And, clearly, because of that cold, Rob, one of the medical conditions that we're talking about is hypothermia. And our medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is standing by to talk just a little bit more about this.
And Elizabeth, with a situation like this, and when you're talking about hypothermia, the condition of the patient, if you will, can decrease rapidly?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, absolutely. It can decrease very rapidly. I asked a doctor -- what an emergency room doctor, how quickly can hypothermia set in? And he said, look, if someone submerges beneath the ice, they can develop hypothermia in 10 minutes. Now, that's not what's happening here.
But he said if you sort of extrapolate, these people, these folks, and sub-thermal temperatures, cold water, they could develop hypothermia in 45 minutes. The time that it takes to develop it, and the time it would take to unfortunately, possibly succumb to hypothermia, depends on whether you're talking about a child or an adult. It depends on the health of the person. It also depends on what they're wearing, if they are lucky enough to be wearing very warm clothing that obviously works for their advantage.
COLLINS: Yes. And hopefully that was the case. Because the temperatures have been so cold in the area, you know, hopefully, at least my family always told me growing up in Minnesota, bring along those extra coats, bring along the boots, bring along the mittens, even if it looks to be a pretty mild day, always a good idea to have that with you.
COHEN: Right. Absolutely. I mean, certainly no one expects to be caught on a water main break, but certainly, you know, your car can break down, anything can happen. It's best to be prepared. It's best to have a medicine kit. But gosh, looking at this, I'm not really sure what kind of preparation one could even do for this. But as you said certainly blankets that hopefully can be kept dry. I mean, this is such a grim scenario.
COLLINS: Yes, it really. But, again, we want to highlight some of the good points here because we have been told by the authorities in that area, Maryland state police, Montgomery County Fire Department, the 12 rescues felt successful rescues have taken place, and now I imagine once again that the medical evaluation will be taking place.
In fact, Elizabeth, thanks for that. In fact we want to bring you something coming in from our affiliate there, WJLA. One of their reporters, Suzanne Kennedy, just a few moments ago had this report that she filed. Let's look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an interesting point because C&O Canal is just downstream, and there are a lot of access routes to the C&O National Park, that people regularly use this time of day -- joggers, people walking their dogs, people just going out for nature hikes. And it's very possible that some of those people could have seen it, that same rushing torrent of water coming their way. You don't know.
SUZANNE KENNEDY, WJLA CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Doug, and this is also an area that has a lot of people who ride horses, and these paths are very actively used by the equestrians in this area. So worst case scenario, there could have been somebody out here for a ride very early this morning. The waves got here obviously. You could see this is a Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department. They've been here. They're moving some of their crews out it looks like here.
These are -- as you can see, this is the river rescue team that's been hard at work here over the last few minutes. Perhaps that means that the situation is winding down a little bit here, but we've seen crews moving in and out over the last few minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that coupled with the fact that we saw one of the rescuers just jump in the basket itself and get lifted up to the chopper is an indication that we've got everybody out of all those vehicles and that's great news.
KENNEDY: Doug, another part of the situation that we've had going on here is just as far as the emergency and the response here. They employed the Holton Arms School, which is just down the street from where I am now, just eastbound from where I am now.
And Congressional Country Club and in another school in this area, they put those all those areas on alert to be used as triage areas for anybody who was being treated. So not only did they treat them at the Cabin John volunteer fire department, the fire department here, they also had areas in the surrounding communities that they utilize as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are pictures that we're looking at from earlier this morning. Just about I'd say 40 --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Quickly, you have been looking at some of our affiliate reporting in the area. As you can imagine, a very, very big story for them locally as well. WJLA and WUSA on these pictures for us this morning.
Did learn something out of that, Rob. I was not aware of the horse trails that run along this area. Again, we're talking about River Road. This is in between the Potomac and Bethesda, Maryland, very close to Congressional Country Club. We also learn that some of the schools and Congressional Country Club have been put on alert just in case the situation developed and deteriorated into a situation when they needed to do triage in that area.
So, right now, these are some of the pictures coming in. And again, I certainly don't want to speculate. But we have them watching these pictures of this rushing water now for the better part of an hour and a half. Now see that one looks like it's running just as swiftly as before. So we're just hoping that we're going to learn a little more about what work is being done on the water main.
Because when you're talking about a 66-inch water main and a four-foot wall of water, clearly, that is now the first concern after we have seen a dozen rescues take place. Got to get that water shut off.
MARCIANO: Yes, you know -- I mean, you're talking with the public works gentleman earlier. You asked this question and I didn't quite understand the answer, which is obviously when a pipe bursts, you get this immediate rush of water. You've got something that's under pressure. And then I would suspect you get an equilibrium of sorts and the pressure of the water flow remains constant.
But as whatever is driving that water up stream or up pipe -- in this case up road, begins to decrease, then that flow would begin to decrease. He seemed to let us give an answer that yes, it would. I didn't quite understand. Is it when you turn that valve off, when you get the decrease, and then eventually a complete shutoff, or do we get a decrease in pressure, which we haven't seen so I'm thinking the answer to that is no before we get that actual thing shut off. Because the water, I should mention, has not decreased in intensity or flow at all. And the wakes that these vehicles parked in the road are producing is quite extraordinary.
COLLINS: Yes, it is. And in fact, can you imagine being inside one of those cars? We have really seen some incredible footage of people being plucked out of those cars and to their safety. In fact, I believe that we have the sound coming in now from someone who was in a car. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not just from the speed of the water, but how cold it is -- decreases people's dexterity in the water. Also, the number of hazards as the asphalt was literally breaking away under their feet as they were moving around in the boats. Also pieces of the roadway were coming down from them and they had to be moving about to try to be able to not be hit by that debris as it came down.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You were talking a little bit about the dexterity, about the difficulty. Were people having a hard time participating, playing their role in the rescue?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I mean, obviously the people on the team were very, very well-trained. But, you know, you can't just throw rope to a person in distress and them hold onto it. That's not safe at all. They can't. And we have training. We have PPE. We have personal protective equipment to help protect us from the elements, but the victims unfortunately do not.
But yes, it made it very difficult to be able to do that. Plus, all of the noise from all the helicopters made it very difficult to communicate. It had to be very well coordinated from both sides of the shore and the people on the boat. So it made it very, very challenging in this particular environment.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Water obviously very cold. Talk to me about the effects on people. Did any of the rescue people say anything to you about that --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: All right. Clearly, that is one of the rescuers whose been working so hard on this situation. Back at live pictures now. Still that rush of water is very, very intense. Have not been able to clarify whether or not there are still people in some of these cars. We're watching very closely, monitoring everything that we are getting into the CNN NEWSROOM right now.
In fact, we were able to bring in some sound from someone who was in one of those cars. I believe it was one of the white vehicles. There are a couple of white vehicles that are lined on this street, River Road here in Maryland. But let's go ahead and listen in to that, and see what she has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All of the sudden, a gush of water came along with boulders and parts of trees. And I tried to turn to get out of it, and that was it. I couldn't. My car just got blocked in. The water was going over the top of the car, and the fire department finally came and got me out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Well, you can hear how breathless she was even after all that, and probably, for quite some time now, because this has been a very precarious situation. Once again, these pictures coming in to us from our affiliates in the area -- WUSA, WJLA. Really trying to stay on top of what's happening here after a dozen rescues have taken place. We have not heard word of any injuries. But obviously that medical evaluation is probably taking place right now as we continue to look at the scene on some of the other routers that are coming in, because they have an awful lot of work to do at this point. Still the water is rushing.
MARCIANO: It is. And what we haven't been able to see, Heidi, are shots from the ground. You guys want to split screen. We'll be able to show you some picture of Google Earth, which incorporate past pictures of what it looks like without actual water. It will give you an idea of what things would look like.
Again, this is the aerial view of River Road up to the upper left part of your screen is where congressional golf course in. We'll click down to one of these cameras, which will kind of flatten us out on the road. Now you're looking down -- basically downstream. What this road would look like on a normal day, without the water main busting up and sweeping cars and people potentially down the road.
COLLINS: That's right. In fact, we have now on the line, Rob, someone that we've been waiting to hear from so we can get a better idea of the exact situation of what's happening with the water main, and what those challenges are in order to get it shutoff.
Jim Neustadt is the director of communications with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission who would be in charge of this.
So, Jim, tell us what you know, and tell us what work is being done right now.
Can you hear me, Jim?
VOICE OF JIM NEUSTADT, WASHINGTON SUBURBAN SANITARY COMMISSION: I can hear you. Can you hear me?
COLLINS: Yes, I can hear you now. Go ahead, tell us what you know, Jim.
NEUSTADT: We have a break of the 66 inch main that runs from our Potomac Filtration Plant, which is not too far from there. And it runs most people in the area would know, all the way over to the end of Beach Drive and Rock Creek, about six to seven miles. But that's not the break. The break is in that area around Fenway and River Road.
We were unable to shut off the valve because it was underwater. The fire department rightfully did not want anybody going near there and getting into that water and kept us from doing that. We were all protecting safety and we're concerned about that. So we are backed up and we are trying to shut off right now two more valves that will be able to cut off the flow of this water hopefully very soon. We've also cut the flow of water coming from our Potomac plant, which has --
COLLINS: So pardon me, Jim, back up just a bit. Because there may be a lot of people out there who are not familiar with how this whole system works. This is not operated by computer. You don't just get to walk in to some headquarters of, you know, the water mains across this area and hit a button and it all shuts off with a computer?
NEUSTADT: Correct. I mean, there are places where that happens, but not through the entire line. We have 5500 miles of waterline. So we do have computers that monitor the pressure and monitor certain parts of the system, but not individually each valve. We're not able to take and open and close each valve.
COLLINS: Yes. Wow. So does that create, I imagine from what you've just said, because that valve was under water. I mean, somebody had to get there in order to close that off?
NEUSTADT: Well, but it's not unusual in a situation like this that then you back up to the next valve, and to further up chain, so to speak. And then you cut off that valve or two valves. And you achieve the same thing. You may cut off the water for a few more people, but you can't achieve the same thing. You just have to go a little further back. There are valves throughout the system.
COLLINS: How long do you think this will take, Jim?
NEUSTADT: Don't know. You know, we're hopeful that we'll be able to cut the valve in the next hour. But we also know that in cases like this -- we don't know if this will be able to happen. But in cases like this, we can possibly route the water around this break, so that in the long run, maybe you know some time from now, there won't be anybody without water. But we don't know if that will be able to happen yet or not.
COLLINS: All right. Has anyone notified you, before we let you go, about the current situation for people left inside the cars and what that rescue situation is at this time?
NEUSTADT: No. That's the Montgomery County Fire Department. They do an excellent job with that. And they're working on that as I'm sure you've been watching all morning.
COLLINS: Absolutely. All right, Jim Neustadt of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. We sure do appreciate that there. The people who are working on that water main, and trying to get it closed down. He says possibly within the hour. That would be something that would be able to happen.
We are going to take a quick break right here in the CNN NEWSROOM, and continue to follow this situation happening near Bethesda and Potomac, Maryland of a water main break. We're back right here in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
