Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue hosted a joint maritime training exercise with multiple other first responder and law enforcement agencies on Friday at Perrindise Marina, Hayes.

In the exercise, 12 boats headed out to the York River to conduct search and rescue and environmental pollution exercises to replicate a realistic response to a boating incident.

According to AVFR Lieutenant and Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Blake Fleming, the training simulated a total loss of a tug and oil barge that was inbound to the York River in the early hours of the morning. The exercise proposed that the tug and barge’s master had fallen asleep and struck an object, causing the vessel to sink.

On land, the boats were aided by the Port of Virginia mobile command center. Inside, members of the allied agencies helped conduct search patterns and hazmat response. On the water, boats searched for floating dummies and used containment booms to contain a simulation of environmental pollution.

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