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  • Rob Dobson, WV Adventures in Glen Jean, kayaks down Piney Creek in Glen Morgan, looking for the missing Glasgow firefighter. He was planning on traveling the 13 miles to the New River. Barbero Photo

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March 17, 2010

Recovery effort intensifies

Search for missing firefighter now includes dogs, kayaker

By Brad Johnson Register-Herald Reporter

BECKLEY — Searchers concentrated Wednesday morning on the area near the Glen Morgan bridge in Beaver where Donald Adkins, 32, was swept into floodwaters early Saturday during a swift water rescue mission. Adkins was a member of the Glasgow Volunteer Fire Department.

“We had a dog in here last night, and it had a little interest right here by the bridge,” said C.W. Sigman, fire coordinator/deputy emergency manager for Kanawha County who was in charge at the scene.

“We had it search 2 or 3 miles of creek and it never hit on anything else except right here. So we have a fresh dog in here this morning and we’re going to check again.”

Steve Shaklin of West Virginia K-9 Search and Rescue led Harley, a cadaver-seeking dog, around the bridge and the creek banks Wednesday morning. Officials said the effort was changed from search and rescue to a recovery mission Tuesday.

“He can actually hit on somebody that is underwater,” Shaklin said at the scene. Harley barked at a spot in the water and even ran out into the creek briefly, but nothing was found there.

“He hasn’t had a hit yet, but he’s showing interest,” Shaklin said.

State Fire Marshal Sterling Lewis noted cadaver dogs are trained to find anyone or anything that is deceased. Fish and other dead animals are in the search zone.

The search zone was expanded about a mile Wednesday, Lewis said. The Nitro Fire Department’s swift water technicians also joined the large number of firefighters from across the state at the command center.

Search crew numbers will soon begin scaling back because several responders are coming in on days off or missing work, Lewis said. But the search will continue until Adkins is found.

“They’re doing everything in their power and using every bit of training they’ve ever had to find this gentleman,” Lewis said.

Searching in the water were Belle Fire Chief Chris Fletcher and firefighter Dayle Fiddler, wearing wet suits and gloves and prodding the creek bed with long pipe poles. It was the pair’s third day of working at the scene.

Sigman said a part of Adkins’ wet suit and his life jacket had been found downstream, but added, “I’ve been on a lot of searches, and it always seems like you find them closer to where they went in the water. So we’re not leaving any stone unturned here.”

When Adkins’ rescue boat capsized Saturday, “the water was up so high it was going through the slats of the bridge,” Sigman said. “The water hitting the bridge created a big circular eddy current. As late as (Tuesday) morning we found a box-light flashlight off the boat right here by the bridge.”

At about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, kayaker Rob Dobson of West Virginia Adventures went into the water near the bridge, planning to search the 13 miles downstream until the creek empties into the New River.

“I am representing the outfitters and the New and Gauley rivers industry,” he said. “They called and asked for our help at this time. We’ve been on standby the last four days. I’ll do whatever they want me to do. We’d like to get closure for his family.”

Dobson said he plans to kayak the stream several times if necessary, and said other kayakers may follow him later.

The destructiveness of the flooding was illustrated when Fletcher and Fiddler looked into an open sewer manhole in the stream several hundred yards from the bridge.

The floodwaters had forced the 21-inch, 6,000-pound iron and concrete manhole cover loose.

“We’ll need an excavator to get it up out of the water,” said Bobby Redden of the Shady Spring Public Service District. “As soon as the search clears this area, we’re gonna get in there with the machine to put it back in place.”

A command post for the numerous agencies working to find Adkins is set up at the YMCA Youth Sports Complex in Beckley. Emergency personnel work on the search during the day, but suspend searches altogether at night. This is being done to keep all manpower fresh for the active daytime searches.

Register-Herald reporter Amelia A. Pridemore contributed to this report.

— E-mail:bjohnson@register-herald.com

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