Sean Wathen, a probationary firefighter with the D.C. Fire Department and a former Marine, stood guard over the body of Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara for approximately four hours after the soldier was recovered from the Potomac River. O’Hara was the crew chief of the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport on Feb. 5th.
Wathen, who is assigned to Engine 12 and has been on the job for about seven months, noticed O’Hara’s flight suit and felt compelled to stay by his side until a member of the military could relieve him. O’Hara was one of the first victims brought ashore to a temporary morgue where the D.C. firefighters were waiting.
Ryan O’Hara’s father, Gary O’Hara, expressed his gratitude for the first responders who “sacrificed themselves to jump into that ice cold water” to retrieve his son. He acknowledged that their efforts “helped bring our boy home”.
The U.S. Army will hold a memorial service at Fort Belvoir for all three crew members who died in the Black Hawk crash, and firefighters have been invited to attend. Gary O’Hara said he would like to meet the firefighters, especially Wathen.
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