Underwater Search and Recovery

Lost something overboard, off your dock?  Need for maintenance checks on your boat or dock?  Brunswick Scuba can help.

Brunswick Scuba’s Search and Recovery Team’s mission includes providing services to individuals, non-profit organizations, governments, community service groups, public service agencies, and other entities with; lake and river clean up projects, underwater restoration and exploration, underwater archeology, support for scientific dive operations, underwater survey and photography, water sampling, recovery, and other underwater related operations that provide benefits to the community as needed.  Additionally we assist law enforcement agencies with underwater search, recovery, and evidence processing and documentation of the underwater crime scene.

Upon receiving a request by an individual or agency, Brunswick Scuba staff will request information e.g. the location, nature of the call, circumstances of the incident, type of services requested, urgency, and the names and call back phone numbers of contact persons.  When assisting law enforcement or public service agencies divers and or staff will respond without a monetary retainer.  Billing for law enforcement or public service agencies based on actual expenses.

Phone (434) 955-0304

Public Service Operations and Expectations

Initial Response

Unless considered urgent by law enforcement or public service agencies, operations will be scheduled for daylight hours, during suitable weather, and under conditions which minimize the risk.  Responding members are selected based on the initial assessment of the scene.  Whenever possible, EMS personnel having jurisdiction at the scene will be notified by the law enforcement or public service agencies of the operation and be requested to "standby" on location throughout the operation. 

Scene assessment

On location, Brunswick Scuba personnel will gather intelligence information from witnesses, the requesting agency, and/or other sources to conduct a risk analysis and type of operation to be performed.  Benefits of the evidence and recovery operation is balanced against the risk of the operation to determine if the operation is safe to perform with minimum acceptable risk to personnel. Hazards include: petroleum products from vehicles, entanglements, depth, darkness, fishing lines and hooks, debris, black water visibility, contaminated water, wildlife, bottom composition and currents.  The on scene dive leader will have the final decision as to the operations of personnel.  The final decision to dive is made by each diver individually.

Operations

If the risk analysis favorable for continued operations, a pre-dive briefing with all personnel to plan and coordinate the operation will be conducted.  Each member participating or supporting the operation will have a specific assignment.  EMS and Law Enforcement will be asked to have representatives in attendance.  Assignments will be determined by the dive leader according to the skill level of the diver or support person, special qualifications, necessary equipment, and needs of the operation.  The operation is then initiated under the direction of the dive leader.  The entire operation will be performed using the established SOP and general rules of evidence as a guideline for the specific type of operation.

After Action Review

At the conclusion of the operation, personnel will conduct a post-operation after actions review (AAR) to discuss details of the operation, obtain necessary information about the operation, report any injuries to personnel, equipment inventory and return, and make suggestions for future improvements.  At the discretion of the dive leader, this AAR may include the requesting agency and other on scene personnel.

Reports

A report will be completed by the dive team leader within 72 hours of the conclusion of the operation and interviews.  This report will be made available to the requesting agency.  This report will include the facts of the operation, descriptions of the articles, evidence, persons recovered, reported injuries, and names of the participating members.  Dive team leader may speak with representatives of the media and make a written press release.  Written reports will include digital photos taken at the scene of the incident, and newspaper clippings of the event.

General Rules of Evidence

Nothing in the underwater scene or topside scene, is touched, disturbed, or moved until documented with photographs, video, measurements, and sketches, with accompanying notes and reports as necessary.  Photographs, video, and sketches need a scale reference.  Each incident will be preserved and processed as a crime scene during the entire operation, or until the requesting law enforcement agency determines otherwise and requests a recovery operation only with no evidence collection.  All small articles of evidence, other than persons, will be delivered to topside personnel for documentation and tagging.  The article of evidence will then be delivered to the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction at the operation site.

Recovery Operations and Evidence Preservation

I.  Victim Recovery

General Rules of Evidence: Nothing in the underwater scene is touched, disturbed, or moved until documented with photographs, video, measurements, and sketches, with accompanying notes and reports as necessary.  Photographs, video, and sketches need a scale reference.  Each incident will be preserved and processed as a crime scene during the entire operation, or until the requesting law enforcement agency determines otherwise and requests a recovery operation only with no evidence collection.

Risk Benefit Factor: The benefit of the evidence and recovery operation is balanced against the risk of the dive operation to determine if the operation is safe to perform.  Usual hazards include petroleum products from vehicles, entanglements, depth, darkness, fishing lines, debris, black water visibility, contaminated water, wildlife, bottom composition and currents.  Since each operation is unique, a risk benefit factor is performed at each scene to determine if divers will enter the water.  Information obtained in the initial briefing from the requesting law enforcement agency is also included in the risk benefit factor.

Initial Survey: If the victim(s) location is known, and a risk benefit factor is in favor of a dive operation, an initial dive is performed by a minimum of two divers. While following the general rules of evidence, the initial divers will survey the underwater scene and report their findings topside to help plan the evidence and recovery operation.

Search for Victims: If the victims last location is not known, topside support and dive team leaders will conduct interviews with law enforcement personnel and witnesses to determine the best search location based on the last seen point of the victim (LSP).  The search location will be marked with floatation markers and dive flags, and moved as necessary.  Dive team leaders in the pre-dive briefing will then decide upon the best search pattern or patterns to locate the victim(s).  The search phase of the operation will continue until the victim or article of the search is found.  When a diver(s) locates the victim(s), they will alert other divers that the victim has been found and the evidence collection phase may begin.  To alert other divers of the discovery, a predetermined signal is used (usually 5 rope tugs and deployment of a dive marker).

Evidence Collection and Documentation: Each diver participating in the evidence collection and documentation phase of the operation will have a specific assignment.  Assignments will be determined by the on scene commander according to the skill level of the diver, special qualifications, equipment, and needs of the operation.  When divers are alerted that the victim or object has been located, the evidence phase of the operation begins.  The diver locating the victim will note the depth and positioning of the victim, and deploy a dive marker next to the victim.  Topside support will photograph the marker at the surface and evidence collection divers will be deployed.

Divers Evidence Collection Tasks Include:

• Photograph and video tape the underwater scene.
  

• Note the depth, water temperature, and positioning of victim.
  

• Take accurate measurements of the victim and location.
  

• Note the victim’s condition and note any visible injuries to victim.
  

• Note the clothing, foot wear, and jewelry the victim is wearing.
  

• Bag the hands, feet, and head of the victim with stockings or condoms (depending on victims condition).
  

• Wrap the victim in a sterile white sheet and ensure the preservation of trace evidence.
  

• Take a water and soil sample in the immediate area where victim was located.
  

• Body bag the victim using a specially designed water body bag prior to removal from the water.  Bag supplied by local Law Enforcement agency.
  

• Search the immediate area around the location where victim was found for any potential evidence.
  

• Search the recovery location to collect articles, papers, and effects which are, or possibly related, to the incident being investigated.
  

Recovery Operation

After the evidence collection phase of the operation has concluded, the victim is brought to the surface by the diver who made the initial discovery, or designated diver, and the victim will be turned over to the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction.  After the water and bottom soil sample is properly documented and labeled, it will be delivered to the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction.  The water and bottom soil sample should accompany the victim to autopsy for examination.  Other evidence collected and recovered will be processes in compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) established by dive members for the processing and handling of evidence.  The dive marker is retrieved and all personnel will conduct a post-dive debriefing to discuss the operation and make suggestions for improvements.

II.  Vehicle Recovery

General Rules of Evidence: Nothing in the underwater or topside scene is touched, disturbed, or moved until documented with photographs, video, measurements, and sketches, with accompanying notes and reports as necessary.  Photographs, video, and sketches need a scale reference. Each incident will be preserved and processed as a crime scene during the entire operation, or until the requesting law enforcement agency determines otherwise.

Risk Benefit Factor: The benefit of the evidence and recovery operation is balanced against the risk of the dive operation to determine if the operation is performed. Usual hazards include petroleum products in the water, entanglements from the vehicle, fishing lines, debris, unstable vehicle positioning, black water visibility, contaminated water, wildlife, bottom composition and currents.  Since each operation is unique, a risk benefit factor is performed at each scene to determine if divers will enter the water.  Information obtained in the initial briefing from the requesting law enforcement agency is also included in the analysis.

Initial Survey: If the risk benefit factor is in favor of a dive operation, an initial dive is performed by a minimum of two divers to determine the position and condition of the vehicle, the number of victims and location of victims in the immediate vicinity, and the overall condition and positioning of the underwater scene.  While following the general rules of evidence, divers survey the scene and report their findings topside to help plan the evidence and recovery operation.

Evidence Collection and Documentation: Each diver will have a specific assignment during the evidence collection phase of the operation.  Assignments will be determined by the on scene commander according to the skill level of the diver, special qualifications, equipment, and needs of the operation.  Each part of the vehicle will be examined underwater to determine; the identity of the vehicle, the existence of damage and potential evidence, the location and positioning of victims, and the positioning of vehicle mechanical and electrical functions.

Before the recovery phase of the operation can begin, the underwater phase of the evidence collection must be complete.  Evidence that cannot be recovered until the vehicle is moved must be documented in place by photographs and sketches.

Each diver will report his or her findings and deliver collected evidence to topside personnel for collection and documentation.  The divers will note the location and recovery depth of each item of evidence.  Evidence will be collected in compliance with Standard Operating Procedures established by Brunswick Scuba for the processing and handling of evidence.

Evidence to be Collected Includes

• Victims- (Each victim will be processed and recovered as stated in SOP for victim recovery)
  

• Water and bottom sample- (Even if victims are not recovered)
  

• Articles, papers, and effects which are, or possibly related, to the incident being investigated.
  

• Vehicle parts and accessories which have detached from the vehicle.
  

• Articles, papers, and effects inside the vehicle which may be lost when the vehicle is recovered.
  

• Articles related to the investigated incident which were found with the use of a metal detector.
  

• Photographs of underwater scene, recovered persons, recovered vehicle, and related items.
  

• Measurements of underwater scene, vehicle positioning with reference points, recovered persons, with associated GPS coordinates if possible.
  

• NOTE: Glove compartments, consoles, trunks, camper shells, and other closed areas of the vehicle should not be entered during the underwater evidence collection and documentation operation unless there is a substantial risk of loosing evidence during the recovery operation.
  

Required Documentation and Reports for vehicle recovery

Exterior

Complete damage survey. This includes all sides, roof, undercarriage, wheels, windows, and accessories that are accessible from the vehicle exterior.

Vehicle identification: This includes recording the license plate, color, model, and other vehicle identifiers to assist law enforcement with the initial on scene investigation.

Positioning of mechanical devices. This includes the positioning of doors, wheels, windows, trunk, hood, sun roof, tailgate, rear sliding window, and other mechanical devices on the vehicle exterior.

Interior

Complete damage survey. This includes all visible damage inside the vehicle. (Example: missing radio, steering column broken, steering wheel bent forward, windshield smashed, handle missing, etc.)

Positioning of victims. This will include the location and position of victim(s) inside the vehicle, and if seat belts were in u

se.

Positioning of mechanical devices. This includes ALL mechanical devices inside the vehicle and the position each device was discovered. (example: wipers, headlights, vents, seats, radio, CD, cassette, AC, glove compartment, ash trays, cell phone, mirror, headrest, sun roof, fuel gage, speedometer, and other devices and instruments)

Recovery Operation

After the underwater evidence collection and documentation has concluded, the recovery operation may begin.  Recovery divers will coordinate with the on scene commander and the wrecker service to insure that the vehicle recovery operation minimizes damage to the vehicle and preserves any further potential evidence which could not be collected underwater.  The vehicle should be removed in the upright position with the tow hooks attached to the rear axle(s).  The windows are open and the door closed to the first click to prevent the water pressure from breaking out windows.  When the vehicle has been safely removed from the water evidence collection continues, including the opening of closed compartments and taking additional photographs.  In all cases, the safety of divers and topside personnel is of the greatest importance.  These Standard Operating Procedures may be adjusted to insure a safe operation.

  R e c o v e r y