Baltimore bridge collapse 'brings back so many memories' for Bay Area rescue diver

TAMPA - The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday brought back awful memories for a diver who was among the first in the water after the Sunshine Skyway Bridge fell more than 40 years ago, killing 35 people.

Bob Raiola watched the images from Baltimore and couldn't help reliving his own nightmare.

"It brings back so many memories," said Raiola. "[The Skyway] was just such a tragedy for the Bay Area, for the victims, for the families."

Few know more than Raiola about the search rescue and recovery efforts following a catastrophic bridge collapse. Raila told FOX 13 dive teams are likely dealing with dangerous conditions.

"I'm sure it's spooky because I'm sure that there's bridge noises, steel and pieces of concrete still falling, let alone a commotion above water," he said. "I'm sure that they're going through quite a bit and concerned for their safety or their partners and worrying about whether or not they're going to be getting home tonight."

Meanwhile, Christopher Audet, a senior member of Tampa Police Department's dive team, said emergency crews likely began by using sonar to map the search area.

Despite that, low visibility is probably another challenge for divers.

"It's going to be black water diving, so a lot of that is going to be very, very low light, if any visibility at all. So a lot of it's going to be done by hand and feel," said Audet, who has led countless underwater investigations.

READ: Baltimore bridge collapse echoes 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster in Tampa Bay

Audet said this situation likely calls for emergency responders to conduct, what's called, a hard-hat dive.

"Picture a commercial diver, the large steel helmet that goes on top and then there's umbilical cord that feeds communication and oxygen to the divers so they can work for hours and hours on end," he explained.

Raiola added these types of searches require as much care as possible.

"Our concern was the victims, recovering as many victims as respectfully and as quickly as possible to bring closure to the families," he said, adding emotions can linger for decades and can be just as treacherous as the recovery effort itself. "If [the Skyway victims' families] were all sitting here right now, I would like to apologize for my inability to recover as many victims as we could have on that day."

Audet said this is like a regional response for dive teams in the Baltimore area. At the moment, Tampa Police have not been contacted, although Audet said, if they are, TPD divers would lend a hand.

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