section_path: Accident/Emergency response
section_name: Emergency response
paragraph_text: Emergency response
  
  Chief John Donnelly of the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (DC FEMS) said emergency responders were notified of an aircraft crash at 8:48 p.m. The first units arrived at the scene at 8:58 p.m., where they discovered the aircraft in the water. DC FEMS was joined by emergency personnel from the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Fire and Rescue Department, United States Coast Guard, Maryland State Police, along with other local, state, and federal agencies. Additionally, several Hornblower Cruises tour boats sailed from the Washington Sailing Marina in Alexandria, Virginia to help with search and rescue operations.
  
  Fireboats and divers were deployed to search for victims and survivors; cold temperatures, strong winds, ice, and murky water hampered rescue efforts. The water temperature near the crash site was recorded at 35 °F (2 °C). On January 30, the rescue operation turned into a recovery mission. By February 4, all bodies had been recovered, including the three soldiers in the helicopter, and all of them were identified by February 5. After the collision, Reagan National Airport suspended all takeoffs and landings, diverting flights to nearby airports, including Dulles, Baltimore/Washington, and Richmond. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority extended Silver Line service to help passengers whose flights were diverted to Dulles and dispatched "warming buses" to help relief operations. The airport remained closed for over fourteen hours, until 11:00 a.m. on January 30.
  
  The fuselage of Flight 5342 was found upside down in three sections in the river and was recovered. The search for debris was extended to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, three miles (5 km) south of the airport. A crane used to lift debris after the March 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was brought to help pick up plane wreckage, and the US Navy also sent two barges to recover heavy items. According to federal officials, the wreckage of the helicopter was also recovered and was transported to a secure location.