Broken water main forces dramatic rescue

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By Joseph Weber

UPDATED:

A massive wall of water from a water-main break in Montgomery County trapped at least seven motorists inside their vehicle Tuesday morning on River Road, resulting in a major rescue operation involving several agencies, helicopters, boats and rescue swimmers.

"Drivers were confronted with a 4-foot wall of water," said Pete Piringer, of the county fire department, which has a swift-water rescue team.

The water main broke at about 7:55 a.m. and stranded about 12 to 16 motorists. No fatalities or major injuries were reported. However, three or four people were treated at a nearby hospital for hypothermia. The rescue operation concluded at about 9:30 a.m., Mr. Piringer said.

The longer-term consequences of the break were already being felt by noon, amid reports by residents and businesses of low water pressure. Pepco cut off power to the area, and county officials closed public schools two hours early.

The 66-inch-wide break sent millions of gallons of water gushing into the area of River Road and Seven Locks Road with such force at least one vehicle was overturned and another shoved into a wooded area. Officials said as much as 135 million gallons a minute were coming from the main at the height of the break.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission said crews had difficulties shutting off the main because the valves were underwater. Agency officials did not know what caused the break, but temperatures in the mid-teens could have been a factor.

By mid-morning emergency crews turned to searching the area for vehicles and motorists they might have missed in their rescue efforts. Crews had reduced the flow to about 60 million gallons per minute by about 10 a.m.

The area will likely be closed indefinitely as officials deal with erosion and flooding in nearby streams. River Road is a major thoroughfare for commuters going south into the District.

The operation include emergency crews from the State Police and Fairfax County.