Diving teams suspended after botched rescue

The two fire department diving teams that were involved in a rescue operation that left a fellow diver dead earlier this month, have been suspended.

Regional crisis management department Veiligheidsregio Noord Holland who the divers work for said that they were suspended because some procedures had not been followed during the operation. It said there were questions about the capabilities of the divers and that an impartial third party would be commissioned to look into the procedures of the organization. Diver John Impink (50) died during the rescue operation on August 4. A motorist had driven into the Canal at Koedijk and Impink had dived in to rescue him. He managed to save the driver but got unwell during the operation and died shortly after. “Veiligheidsregio Noord Holland Noord considers it important that the competence and safety of its workers are up to par. An accident like what happened at Koedijk should never happen again,” the organization wrote. It was not clear for how long the divers will be kept off the job. Diving teams from the Navy and from surrounding communities have taken over their tasks in the meantime.