[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 31 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E362]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E362]]
   COMMENDING THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE NAVAL RESERVE CENTER IN 
                               BALTIMORE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 11, 2004

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join 
me in commending the brave men and women of the Naval Reserve Center in 
Baltimore for their bravery and unselfish sacrifice; especially on the 
afternoon of Saturday, March 6, 2004, when a water taxi carrying 25 
passengers suddenly capsized. I would also like to extend my 
condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives as 
a result of this tragedy.
  Last Saturday, on a sunny Spring-like afternoon, a large group, 
including many related family members, boarded a water taxi near Fort 
McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland. These families were calmly crossing 
the water, when the dark clouds of fate appeared on the horizon. 
Suddenly, without warning, a violent micro-burst of wind tore through 
Baltimore's Inner Harbor. On that day, it was reported that winds blew 
at a rate of more than 55 miles per hour.
  Eyewitnesses report that the water taxi, filled with people, was 
pushed upward and flipped on its belly. One witness, Command Master 
Chief Melvin Johnson, was going about his regular duties at the nearby 
Naval Reserve Center. Master Chief Johnson gazed at the sky and noticed 
the sudden appearance of dark storm clouds approaching. He looked 
across the harbor from the dock of the Naval Reserve Center and 
realized that the water taxi carrying 25 passengers would be overtaken 
by the wind from the approaching storm. In a flash, he saw the boat 
turned upside down and he immediately sprang into action. He and other 
members of the Naval Reserve team quickly contacted emergency 
personnel. At the same time, some of the team members boarded their 
vessel, a mechanized landing craft (LCM) , and rushed to the site of 
the overturned water taxi. I have been told that the Naval Reserve team 
reached the overturned vessel within minutes to help the 25 passengers 
onboard.
  The brave men and women of the Naval Reserve team plunged themselves 
into the frigid waters and used their boat and ingenuity to rescue 
twelve (12) of the passengers of that over-turned water taxi. The 
remaining ten who were rescued or recovered were the result of the 
bravery of the Baltimore City Fire Department team. Sadly, two people 
died as a result of this horrible tragedy and three people have yet to 
be recovered. Our prayers are with their families.
  Many of these reservists also administered life-saving CPR. As an 
example of the overall bravery of the Naval Reserve team, Commander 
Peterson Decker jumped in repeatedly to rescue the passengers and 
actually lost consciousness many times from the frigid water 
temperatures. His acts and those of the other reservists can be 
described as nothing short of completely selfless. They embody the best 
of the mission of the Naval Reserve Center, an integral part of our 
military forces.
  By all accounts, however, the loss of life would have been much 
greater if not for the quick action and unselfish acts of the men and 
women of the Naval Reserve Center.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the many individuals from the Naval Reserve Center who 
always work tirelessly to reach out to their neighbors in times of 
emergency. I want to applaud and recognize these heros by name: 
Commander Jim McGovern, Command Master Chief Melvin Johnson, Commander 
Peterson Decker, Senior Chief Vincent Scardina, Petty Officers Jerry 
Neblett, Sean Tate and Jeffery King, Mr. Arthur Eisenstein, Mr. Jerome 
Stoney, Chief Ricardo Duncan, Chief Petty Officer Asa Johnson, Petty 
Officers Willliam Elwood, Patrick McKenna, David Romano, Carlos 
Andrews, Gregory Baccula, Garren Diggs, Quenton Dixon, Walter Volkman, 
Henry Zecher, Arturo Spencer, and the triage team, Lt. Commander 
Phillip Reed, Petty Officers Yolette Scott-Wilson, Stephen Speegle, 
Cassandra Fish, Wendy Cruse, Gary Harder, Joey Mercer and Renfro Smith. 
Again, thank you for your bravery and dedication to duty.

                          ____________________