BALTIMORE - The Navy reservists whose quick work saved 21 people aboard a water taxi that capsized described the horrific scene in which they made their rescue: survivors clinging to the overturned vessel in frigid, choppy water pounded by rain, telling them more were trapped below.
One woman was killed in Saturday's accident in Baltimore Harbor and three people, including a child, were missing, but the reservists said Sunday they were relieved the loss of life wasn't even greater.
The sailors rushed to the scene after seeing the boat in trouble. After passengers clinging to the water taxi told them others were trapped underneath, the rescuers used a ramp on their troop landing ship to lift the water taxi partly out of the water, Petty Officer Jeffrey King said.
''Brother, it was like the end of the ''Titanic'' movie once that thing lifted up,'' King said. ''I mean those bodies just floated up.''
Lt. Cmdr. Art Eisenstein said he jumped into the water and grabbed a little girl who was unconscious and floating face-down.
''Just to hear that she's still with us is just amazing,'' Eisenstein said. Water temperatures were in the low 40s, and heavy rain was pouring from black clouds as survivors were pulled out of the water.
''It was pretty hateful,'' Petty Officer Henry Zecher said. ''I'm relieved that we were able to save as many lives as we were.''
Two people, including an 8-year-old girl, were critically injured when the 36-foot pontoon boat overturned with 23 passengers and two crew members.
The ferry had just set off across the harbor from historic Fort McHenry on the way to the city's Fells Point when it was caught by wind gusting to 50 mph. The boat, which was at full capacity, was equipped with life preservers but passengers are not required to wear them.
''No one on the craft had time to get their life preservers on,'' said police Maj. Fred Bealefeld.
Twenty-two people were removed from the water but one woman died at a hospital. Seven remained hospitalized Sunday. The water temperature was in the low 40s.
On Sunday, recovery crews used boats, helicopters, sonar and dogs trained to find submerged bodies in the search for the three missing people.
The missing were a man, a woman and a child, said Baltimore Fire Chief William Goodwin.
He said the dogs indicated they may have detected something near the spot where the boat overturned, and sonar was used to scan the area. Investigators said they were looking at the weather and the condition and operation of the vessel as possible factors in the accident.
NTSB Chairman Ellen Engleman-Conners said officials were interviewing survivors and witnesses, and were awaiting voluntary toxicology tests conducted Sunday on the captain and first mate.
She said divers stopped their recovery efforts about 6 p.m. Sunday and would resume Monday morning.
Engleman-Conners said the boat would be removed from the water so investigators could do complete hull and steering system inspections. She said an initial inspection found that the steering system appeared to be intact.
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