Lets make this the first one for 2007

[NJMike]

What about some piece of dive equipment that has a serial number on it that could be checked against registration?

This would not positively identify the human using it, but might add 'credible' evidence.

 

[ReefGuy]

Unless I knew there was definately not a crime involved, and the vis was good enough, I'd try to get pictures, both whole body, and some close ups before getting silted out. If I felt I could do it, string a float through the collar bone or pelvis to help mark the position.

If a crime was involved, both divers bag (plastic, sealed) and recover head, then hands, then feet (with surrounding soil samples), then work feet up. Two divers should be able to recover the remains even in silted out conditions - if the body hasn't moved much to this point, it's not going to now.

If I knew a crime wasn't involved, I'd start with the head and bag down. Pictures first, if possible.

 

[Gary D.]

In the words of Myth Busters; “Now that’s what I’m talking about”.

This is a recovery we did a few years ago on a fisherman that had been down 16 months.

We were looking for another drowning victim when we accidentally come across our fisherman during the SS test phase. We hadn’t even started searching yet.

We mark the GPS and kept it off the air so we wouldn’t get hounded by the press. A diver confirmed what we thought, it sure could be him.

We went and found the other victim, got him recovered them concentrated on the other more complicated recovery.

The plan was to get him on tape first which we did. We have some excellent digital video of the entire process. Vis was good but we didn’t have a clue as to how stable the body was going to be so we elected to video everything.

The plan was for two of us to go down with the body bag. I was to stay at the head and keep control of the upper torso while the other diver would handle the lower half.
The silt is several feet deep so slipping the body bag under him isn’t going to be a problem. But we know the second we touch the bottom vis is going to absolute zero.

So we sit there for a minute or so looking things over then move in for the recovery. He looks intact but he could have the consistency of partially set up Jell-O out of a mold. If nothing else on this first trip I need to get the skull, lower jaw and left hand.

We get the bag in position and slip it under him but he had an extended left arm that would not go in the bag. I grab it and was surprised things were mostly solid. But when I moved his arm into the bag I couldn’t find the body bag again.

I wanted to just leave everything there, let the silt settle and go back after a SI. But the other diver started to take the bag back up incase we had some of him in it. We did but just some loose flesh that didn’t amount to anything.

After regrouping we go back and get him bagged without incident. The worst thing about this one was that I could smell him on the bottom. In comparison it made a skunk smell like some expensive cologne.

We went after the skull and lower jaw for dental record ID and his left hand because of his wedding ring. He had his billfold on him and everything in it was almost intact including his photo ID which didn’t look much like him.

I was with the SS on another search outside of our county. Again the wrong body was located. It could be a missing man from 100 years ago. The ROV was able to get a piece of what is thought to be the pelvis for some testing. He’s still there and maybe someday we will go back and try for some more evidence.

Every situation will require something different, a different style, maybe different equipment, and different targets. But one thing for sure is that every death investigation needs to be treated as a homicide until proven different.

What better way is there to get rid of someone than what appears to be a simple open and closed boating or vehicle accident? There have been a lot of murders that were never detected because of it’s an accident mentality. So don’t fall into that category.

The reason I started this thread was to get you guys and gals thinking. It seems to have worked so lets keep it going.

Ummm, should we tell ChedderChick how we finger print some of these? :11: :no

Gary D.

 

[AXL72]

Air Eduction

 

[bridgediver]

including his photo ID which didn’t look much like him.


Gary D.

LMAO. I suppose not!!!