Realistic Mannequin

[wendellnope]

Hi Y'all,

Our Police Diver team will put on a demonstration for the media in which we desire to have a realistic-looking mannequin as a recovery victim. Underwater video will be made of the event. Can anybody suggest a realistic mannequin we might acquire for this purpose? The entire body will be exposed on a clean bottom surface, we will then go to it and bag it ... all while being videoed. We just want it to look real. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sgt. Wendell Nope
Utah DPS Dive Team
wnope@utah.gov email
Wendell Nope SCUBA Web Pages web
801-209-5790 cell

 

[Yotsie]

Hi Wendell!!

We found two old display mannequins from a local clothing store work well and since we got the store to donate them, the cost was perfect. We drilled holes throughout the body to allow them to get to the bottom faster. Dressing them in old flight jumpsuits we obtained from our air support unit along with some old boots made them look realistic enough without breaking the bank.


I just shot video of our team doing some body bagging with them last week in a swimming pool. To the non-PSD types, it looks realistic.

 

[wendellnope]

Great idea. Thanks.

 

[Rescue8Diver]

We use a drag dummy(manequin) for recovery training. They have the weight of a real person and the limbs move. Most fire departments have them. Just ask at your local FD and I'm pretty sure they will lend it to you guys. Ours weighs 160lbs. You've probably seen the same dummies on Mythbusters, if you watch the show.

 

[ditch-diver]

put a wig on them though..., nothing says real like wet hair

 

[Upstate Scuba OWI]

or for really cheap budget you can make rough shape of a person out of old fire hose then put clothing on it to give the appearance. Not great looking for a media shot but a great tool that you can afford to lose for normal training missions

 

[northen diver]

Hi Y'all,

Our Police Diver team will put on a demonstration for the media in which we desire to have a realistic-looking mannequin as a recovery victim. Underwater video will be made of the event. Can anybody suggest a realistic mannequin we might acquire for this purpose? The entire body will be exposed on a clean bottom surface, we will then go to it and bag it ... all while being videoed. We just want it to look real. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sgt. Wendell Nope
Utah DPS Dive Team
wnope@utah.gov email
Wendell Nope SCUBA Web Pages web
801-209-5790 cell

Water Rescue Dummy from Dummies Unlimited


This is what we use for our lifeguards. My son said they use the same thing in the USCG.

 

[Tacman55]

Wendell,

Shame you aren't closer... I have just the dummy for you... in fact .. most who have seen pictures of our recovery training assume they are of an actual crime victim recovery...

Will email a few pictures to you... She is made of silicone and has a metal skeleton that you can articulate into any anatomical position a human could take...Message me and I will tell you how I acquired it and where you may can look for one...

I don't recommend the fire drag dummies unless you are going to lift it with a lift bag or add flotation to them to offset some of the weight... as they are dangerously heavy to recover using a diver's personal buoyancy... and are unrealistic unless they are made more positive....

We weight our recovery mannequins to fall within a range of 8-18lbs in the water which replicates a true drowning victim... we have added more for crime scenes. (ex. wraps of anchor chain) Our divers use a recovery bag and lift system in such instances...

Joshua Gibbs
Dive Lt.
Daphne Search and Rescue

 

[Gary D.]

Water Rescue Dummy from Dummies Unlimited


This is what we use for our lifeguards. My son said they use the same thing in the USCG.

This is the same one we got a grant for and use for training. We use it for both the Dive and Sonar Teams.

 

[Siilverback]

We just had a class where this type of dummy was used. it sank without a problem and our team is thinking of purchasing one next budget year.