Busy night for fire, rescue crews

Yesterday was busy for the Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department — according to their tweets about what was going on.

March 22nd was a busy day for Falmouth units with 21 calls for service answered in 24 hours.

— Falmouth Volunteers (@FalmouthVFD) March 23, 2012

It started with a rescue from the Rappahannock River around 8 p.m.

Three people stranded on a rock in the Rappahannock River were  rescued Thursday after it became dark and they could not find their way to shore.

About 8 p.m. emergency personnel from Stafford County Fire and Rescue responded to the incident near the Falmouth Bridge. Falmouth Fire and Rescue arrived at the scene at 8:04. The trio said they were not injured,  but needed help returning  to the shore, which was about 40 feet away.

Rescue swimmers reached the stranded people, placed life vests on them and then brought them safely to shore. Fire and rescue units from Falmouth, Berea, White Oak, Brooke and the Fredericksburg Fire Department responded to the rescue.

—Elizabeth Pezzullo

The department tweeted that all were safe.

*Update* Three Falmouth Rescue Swimmers rescued three victims from the rapids and they were safely removed to shore. Units in service.

— Falmouth Volunteers (@FalmouthVFD) March 23, 2012

But soon, another rescue was underway.

Boat 1 and MSU requested for mutual aide water rescue call in Spotsylvania County. Multiple victims in the water at this time

— Falmouth Volunteers (@FalmouthVFD) March 23, 2012

*U/D* Spotsy police has two subjects in custody, 1 suspect still in the water or on river bank. K-9 units checking the area for last suspect

— Falmouth Volunteers (@FalmouthVFD) March 23, 2012

Third victim/suspect located and in custody of Spotsy police. MSU and Boat in service

— Falmouth Volunteers (@FalmouthVFD) March 23, 2012

A discussion started on the fredericksburg.com Facebook page about the rescue. Here’s what we reported there: ”We just called Capt. Harvey with the Sheriff’s Office and they don’t have information available yet on what those rescued were suspected of. Phil Sullivan, Spotsy’s deputy fire marshall, just told us that the swimmers took off when rescuers arrived and that he believes they were simply in Cosner’s Park after dark against park rules.”

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