Charles County Dive Rescue Team secured a $15,000 grant from the DC Fire and EMS Foundation’s Legacy on Ice initiative to acquire a Deep Trekker Photon underwater drone, acknowledging the team’s mutual aid efforts during the January 29, 2025, mid-air collision over the Potomac River. The announcement came on September 26, 2025, in La Plata.
The funding will pair the drone with the team’s existing Side Scan Sonar system to enhance target identification in challenging underwater environments, reducing risks to divers in hazardous conditions. The team plans to cover the remaining costs through its own resources.
“This equipment enhances the safety and effectiveness of our water rescue operations,” said Rick Bowie, president of the Charles County Volunteer Firemen’s Association. “We are grateful to the Foundation for supporting our first responders.”
The grant stems from the team’s response to the tragic incident where American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ-700 en route from Wichita to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, collided with a U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The crash occurred shortly after takeoff from the airport, sending both aircraft into the icy Potomac River and resulting in 67 fatalities—64 on the airliner and three on the helicopter. Recovery operations involved multiple agencies, including dive teams from Maryland and Virginia, who faced frigid waters and poor visibility during the multi-day effort to retrieve wreckage and remains. Charles County divers assisted in locating debris and supporting federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, which later released preliminary findings indicating communication lapses between air traffic control and military operations.
Legacy on Ice, a fundraising program organized by Monumental Sports & Entertainment and U.S. Figure Skating, raised over $1.3 million through benefit events, including a star-studded ice show at Capital One Arena on March 2, 2025, featuring Olympic medalists like Nathan Chen and Kristi Yamaguchi. Proceeds supported victims’ families, first responders and aviation professionals affected by the crash. The DC Fire and EMS Foundation distributed $442,467 in grants from these funds to various agencies, including Charles County’s dive team and units in Prince George’s County for equipment upgrades. Similar awards went to organizations like the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department for thermal imaging cameras and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue for specialized rescue tools.
The Deep Trekker Photon is a compact remotely operated vehicle designed for professional underwater inspections, measuring 332 millimeters wide, 228 millimeters high and 481 millimeters long, with a weight of 11.6 kilograms in air. It features an enhanced 4K camera with LED floodlights that track the camera’s movement, offering a 120-meter depth rating and battery runtime of two to three hours. The drone’s anodized aluminum and carbon fiber construction ensures durability in harsh conditions, while its portable design—at about 10 kilograms base weight—allows for quick deployment from boats or shorelines. Integration with side-scan sonar enables real-time imaging of submerged objects, crucial for search and recovery in rivers like the Potomac, where currents and sediment can complicate operations.
Charles County Dive Rescue operates as a specialized unit within the county’s volunteer fire and EMS framework, responding to incidents across the region’s extensive waterways, including the Potomac River and Wicomico River. Formed in the 1970s amid growing recreational boating and commercial traffic, the team handles an average of 50 calls annually, ranging from vehicle submersions to body recoveries. Volunteers undergo rigorous training in swiftwater rescue, ice diving and sonar operation, certified through organizations like the Public Safety Divers Forum and adhering to National Fire Protection Association standards.
Southern Maryland’s water rescue history dates to the 19th century, when volunteer companies formed to address frequent drownings and shipwrecks along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad & Fire Department, for instance, added marine capabilities in 1974 with a fire/rescue boat, setting a model for regional units. Statewide, the Maryland State Police Underwater Recovery Team, active since the 1970s, has conducted over 1,000 dives, often partnering with local teams like Charles County’s for joint operations. Recent collaborations include a July 13, 2025, response with Prince William County resources to a capsized vessel in the Potomac, deploying fireboats and dive units to recover victims.
Grant processes for such equipment typically involve applications reviewed by foundations like DC Fire and EMS, which prioritize projects enhancing responder safety. In Maryland, volunteer departments can also access state funding through the Senator William H. Amoss Fire, Rescue and Ambulance Fund, distributing millions annually based on county allocations. For Charles County, this has supported fleet upgrades, including sonar systems acquired in prior years.
The new drone will undergo testing and integration training before full deployment, ensuring compliance with federal regulations for unmanned underwater vehicles in navigable waters. Local officials anticipate it will bolster responses to the area’s 458 miles of shoreline, where boating accidents peak during summer months.
This award highlights ongoing investments in public safety amid increasing environmental challenges, such as rising sea levels affecting river depths and currents. Charles County’s emergency services continue to evolve, building on a legacy of community-driven protection that has saved countless lives over decades.
