>> A NIGHTMARE SCENARIO THAT COULD REALLY HAPPEN TO ANYONE. SHOWN YOU DOZENS OF CARS, TRUCKS, SUVS, CRASHING INTO CANALS HERE ALONG OUR GULF COAST. NOW, IF YOUR CAR STARTS SINKING THE COUNTDOWN TO STAY ALIVE. IT STARTS TAKING GULF COAST NEWS REPORTER SARAH MAY GO. DIVES INTO THE LIFE SAVING TECHNIQUES THAT RESCUE CREWS ARE USING TO SAVE LIVES WHEN SECONDS MATTER. >> EMERGENCY, EVERY SECOND COUNTS. TEAM YOU WANT SHOWING UP IN YOUR TIME OF NEED. THERE’S A LOT OF CARS THAT END UP IN CANALS HERE IN CAPE CORAL. MORE THAN PROBABLY PEOPLE KNOW. WILLIAM, WHAT IS A FIELD TRAINING OFFICER FOR THE CAPE CORAL FIRE DEPARTMENT? HE KNOWS HOW MUCH THIS GROUP GOES THROUGH TO GET HERE COULD BE A RESCUE DIVER. >> WE REQUIRE DIVERS TO EVEN APPLY FOR THE TEAM TO HAVE A THEY’RE OPEN WATER SEARCH AND THE RESCUE SEARCH FROM AN OUTSIDE AGENCY. THIS TRAINING IS INTENSE. IT HAS TO BE WITH LITTLE MARGIN FOR ERROR. THE FIRST THING WE WANT TO DO, RESEARCH AND DRIVER SIDE OF CAR GOT IN THERE. SOMEHOW FIND SOMEONE. >> IT’S TIME TO BREAK THEM OUT. >> ONCE THE WINDOWS BROKEN IN THE GAS TO THE DIVERS GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO SEARCH WITHOUT INJURING THE SO FOR SAFETY REASONS, WE DON’T WANT A GUY EVER ACTUALLY INTERVIEWED WAY. IT’S A CONTRACT. WE DON’T WANT TO RUN INTO THE SITUATION WHERE THEY NEED TO TODAY. THIS POOL WATER IS CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THE CANALS OF CAPE CORAL ARE NOT. ESPECIALLY ONCE YOU ADD A VEHICLE THAT ENTERED THE WATER, IT STIRS UP ALL THE MARKET AND IT JUST MAKES VISIBILITY. AND THAT TYPICALLY THE DIVER CAN PUT THEIR HAND OUT FRONT OF THEM. THEY CAN’T EVEN SEE THE TIP OF THE IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE WATER. PREPARATION BEGINS BEFORE THEY ARRIVE ON SCENE. WE EXTRA TANKS, BOTTLES. >> COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT ALREADY KIND OF PRE-PACKAGED. ALL WE’RE GOING TRY TO YOUR NORMAL FIRE TRUCK. THIS IS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR RESCUE DIVERS PRETTY MUCH WHAT THEY DO IS THEY SIT DOWN RIGHT HERE. THEY CAN PUT ON THE STRAPS THAT JUST LIKE A BACKPACK. >> PULL THAT LEVER DOWN HERE AND THE TAPE POPPED RIGHT OUT SO THEY CAN GET DIRECTLY ON THE SCENE. WE HAVE ESPECIALLY COMPARTMENT IN THE BACK THAT’S SPECIFIC TO HOLDING OUR DIVE GEAR. WELL, THAT’S OUR COMMUNICATIONS ARE SPARE BOTTLES. ANY OTHER TYPE OF MCCRIMMON THAT WE MIGHT CARRY BEFORE HOPPING IN THE TRUCK OR JUMPING IN ANY WATER. THESE RESCUE DIVERS ALREADY NEED TO HAVE THEIR OPEN WATER AND RESCUE CERTIFICATIONS AND THE TRAINING NEVER STOPS. REQUIRED TO DO TO TRAIN DIES A YEAR AND WE ALTERNATE BETWEEN NIGHT GUYS AND BOWED EYES JUST SO THAT THEY GET EXPERIENCE TO WANT WIN. THAT TRAINING ISN’T SECOND NATURE. TRAGEDY CAN STRIKE IN APRIL OF 2024 AND RIVIERA BEACH. A MAN DIED AFTER CREWS ATTEMPTED TO RESCUE HIM FROM A CAR IN A CANAL, AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW FOUND THE FIREFIGHTERS LACKED TRAINING, MADE SEVERAL MISTAKES, INCLUDING BREAKING A WINDOW BEFORE THE CAR WAS SECURED WHEN THEY OPENED THE BACK >> WATER RUSHED CAUSING THE CAR TO SINK WITHOUT THE PROPER >> YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT PUT OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE WE BECOME A VICTIM AS WE
See how Cape Coral’s rescue divers train for life-saving missions
Updated: 9:59 PM EST Feb 16, 2026
The Cape Coral Fire Department’s team of rescue divers is rigorously trained to respond swiftly and effectively to emergencies involving vehicles in canals.William Wood, a fire lieutenant and field training officer for the water rescue program, highlighted the prevalence of such incidents, saying, “There’s a lot of cars that end up in canals here in Cape Coral, more than probably people know.”Wood explained the requirements for joining the dive team: “To be on the dive team, before you even apply, you have to have your open water and your rescue diver certifications through an outside agency.” Wood described the initial steps in a rescue operation: “The first thing we want to do is search the driver’s side of the vehicle. The car got in there somehow.”Once a victim is located, the team works to safely extricate them. Wood detailed the procedure, saying, “Once the window’s broken and the glass is cleared, the diver is going to go ahead and do a search without entering the car. For safety reasons, we don’t want our diver actually entering the vehicle. That way, in case they get entrapped, we don’t want to run into any situation where they need to be rescued.” Preparation begins before arriving on the scene, with equipment prepackaged for quick deployment. The fire truck is designed specifically for rescue divers, featuring a specialty compartment for dive gear. Wood described, “We have a specialty compartment in the back that specific to holding our dive gear, whether it’s our communications, our spare bottles, any other type of dive equipment that we might carry.”The training is ongoing. Wood explained, “Our divers are required to do two training dives a year, and we alternate between night dives and boat days.”The importance of training was shown by a tragic incident in April 2024 in Riviera Beach, where a man died after crews attempted to rescue him from a car in a canal.An independent review found the firefighters lacked training and made several mistakes, including breaking a window before the car was secured, which caused the car to sink.Wood warned, “Without the proper training, you know, we might put ourselves in a situation where we become a victim as well.”DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
CAPE CORAL, Fla. —
The Cape Coral Fire Department’s team of rescue divers is rigorously trained to respond swiftly and effectively to emergencies involving vehicles in canals.
William Wood, a fire lieutenant and field training officer for the water rescue program, highlighted the prevalence of such incidents, saying, “There’s a lot of cars that end up in canals here in Cape Coral, more than probably people know.”
Wood explained the requirements for joining the dive team: “To be on the dive team, before you even apply, you have to have your open water and your rescue diver certifications through an outside agency.”
Wood described the initial steps in a rescue operation: “The first thing we want to do is search the driver’s side of the vehicle. The car got in there somehow.”
Once a victim is located, the team works to safely extricate them. Wood detailed the procedure, saying, “Once the window’s broken and the glass is cleared, the diver is going to go ahead and do a search without entering the car. For safety reasons, we don’t want our diver actually entering the vehicle. That way, in case they get entrapped, we don’t want to run into any situation where they need to be rescued.”
Preparation begins before arriving on the scene, with equipment prepackaged for quick deployment. The fire truck is designed specifically for rescue divers, featuring a specialty compartment for dive gear. Wood described, “We have a specialty compartment in the back that specific to holding our dive gear, whether it’s our communications, our spare bottles, any other type of dive equipment that we might carry.”
The training is ongoing. Wood explained, “Our divers are required to do two training dives a year, and we alternate between night dives and boat days.”
The importance of training was shown by a tragic incident in April 2024 in Riviera Beach, where a man died after crews attempted to rescue him from a car in a canal.
An independent review found the firefighters lacked training and made several mistakes, including breaking a window before the car was secured, which caused the car to sink.
Wood warned, “Without the proper training, you know, we might put ourselves in a situation where we become a victim as well.”
DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.