Bodies, more bodies, and another body

[Scared Silly]

Over the past weekend a couple drowned in a local lake after their boat was swampped by wind whipped waves. The local SAR started sweeping the lake with a sonar and camera equiped robot to find the couple. Well, last Friday they found a body from 2001, Wednesday one from 1995 and then yesterday yet another from 1995. Scary but good for the families. There are at least three more in the lake including the couple.

Here is a link to one of the stories.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4676289

So here is my question. The last body they found was at 90 feet and they hoped to raise it mechanically to a shallower depth before sending divers in to complete the recovery. Now the lake is at 7000 feet and is a cold mountian lake so obviously the less time spent in the water the better. But if sending in divers why do this at mid water versus at the bottom. Conversely, if raising the corpse why not just bring it to the surface and complete the recovery? (not withstanding macabre nature of doing it at the surface with spectators).

Edit - two more bodies were found today. Sounds as though it is the couple that downed this past weekend.

http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_321131702.html

 

[Yotsie]

With being involved in a recovery of a body 3 years after the drowning, they may just be recovering skeletal remains. The lake was at 7500 ft. We had a good sonar shot of the victim and it looked as if he was intact, looking at the sonar shots. When we dove down to him, at 98 ffw, he was nothing more than a skeleton. The water temp was 42 degrees.

There was also another recovery that I wasn't involved in which an ROV brought the bodies to 30 ffw and was handed off to the divers to bag. These bodies had been in the water less than 6 months. The reason this was done was for the very reason you already stated. There was a lot of media coverage on this recovery and bagging underwater was the right way to go.

Please keep us updated on this, I am interested in how the recovery goes.

 

[Scared Silly]

Now that the couple has been found they have ended all searching. The comment is that because the technology worked so well that sometime next year they will do a search for the last from 1995 and use it a practice mission.

 

[Boater Dan]

What a tremendous job by the team! It is great that they are able to bring closure to so many. Good effort!

What is a shame is the technology is so great, that it is simply a shame that it cannot somehow be made available to all teams. When you consider what the cost of a PSD death would represent to insurance companies and to the government, somehow the money should be made available. After all, the safest dive we can make is the one we do not have to! Side Scan technology gives us the ability to locate the target and not put divers into a needle in a haystack mode.

Dan

 

[Gary D.]

It would be nice if the SS was the perfect tool but it isn’t. It still takes a joint effort between the SS, ROV and well trained divers to get a good system. Then the technology is only as good as the operators.

We have been surprised a lot. It has found stuff they didn’t think it could find and it as gone right past things that we thought should have been an easy one to find.

Twice we have found the wrong body. One we knew was somewhere in the lake but we didn’t have any idea about the other one.

I don’t think there will ever be the perfect search/recovery tool but it is sure nice having or having access to the best available. It makes it much safer for the dive teams.

Good job guys

Gary D.

 

[BladesRobinson]

What is a shame is the technology is so great, that it is simply a shame that it cannot somehow be made available to all teams.

Dan,

The International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists (IADRS.org) is working hard to make this equipment available to ALL teams. This effort is supported by dues paying members and corporate sponsors like Dive Rescue International, Aqua Lung, FedEx and others.

Right now we have a Marine Sonic side scan SONAR and a ROV. We are hopeful to obtain a scanning SONAR system soon. This equipment and trained technicians (volunteers) are available 24/7 by calling 800-IADRS-911.

If anyone is interested in becoming a member of the IADRS or supporting this effort, please visit:

http://www.iadrs.org/Membership_Info.htm

From this page, one can download a membership application (the link is on the upper left hand corner of the page)

Blades Robinson, Executive Director
International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists
www.IADRS.org

 

[BladesRobinson]

More information will be forthcoming shortly...

 

[Scared Silly]

Okay they found the last one from 1995 ...

http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_324192741.html

more news and a perspective:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4690545

 

[Scared Silly]

One last story from CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/23/missing.boaters.ap/index.html