Diver missing at Cove 2, West Seattle

[VooDooGasMan]

Perfect job lamont.

 

[DiverLaura]

Jax, in my conversations with both SPD and SFD, the answer is "mark the body". There could be information lost by handling it or attempting to move it. Additionally moving a body is not easy and increases the risk to everyone involved. I would not have put my team at risk even if we all had full tanks. This was a recovery, not a rescue.

Thank you - both for the answer and for volunteering your time.

So, If one has the appropriate resources, one *should* recover the body; if not, mark and leave it? Or is that something to discuss with one's local S&R?

Just curious. I pray God I'm not faced with that decision.

 

[DiverLaura]

There were numerous SFD, Coastguard, SPD etc.. boats in the water directly overhead in cove 2. Their divers are on com systems so they know where they are all the time (at the end of a line running a concentric 75' circle. If we were zooming around on scooters and had an issue, popped up and got hit by a rescue boat, they would be liable.

Additionally, they do not know us, our training, etc.. (and as we all know, a card means jack). The SFD and SPD divers are not a bunch of monkeys, they are well trained and often far more experienced divers than many of the folks volunteering, they know about scooters, mix, etc... They have a standardized protocol in place in situations like this.

Actually where there is a death involved, my understanding is that it IS considered a crime scene.

I apologize if this comes off as harsh, and Bob, I don't mean to single you out or offend. It is just frustrating because I see the public safety divers getting pummeled repeatedly for not calling on 'us' in basically every northwest forum and comment area for news stories right now.

I really don't understand why the police closed the coves to divers. We could've put sufficient talent in the water to find this guy ... or his body. Instead they closed the cove and suspended the search because it got dark. Haven't these guys ever heard of dive lights? Sheesh ... by morning, this fellow's body could be a mile from the scene, in 300 feet of water.

It's a recovery effort ... not a crime scene. Let people who are qualified to do so help! Lord knows we've got enough of 'em frequenting Cove 2 on a daily basis ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[lamont]

I apologize if this comes off as harsh, and Bob, I don't mean to single you out or offend. It is just frustrating because I see the public safety divers getting pummeled repeatedly for not calling on 'us' in basically every northwest forum and comment area for news stories right now.

Yeah, +1

I did my own griping when I was sitting around the cove 2 parking lot wishing it was a perfect world, but its not, and they did their jobs exactly the way that they *have* to. No bad feelings at all towards the team, or any of the professional responders there (who were all remarkably cool). I occasionally wish the universe was more efficient sometimes and get frustrated with it and wish it would replace the management -- in that sense, yes, it was a little irritating being ready and having to stand by -- but it was perfectly understandable...

And we easily had the gear and experience to drop in at cove 1 or cove 3 and go scooter around and search, but we would have been complete assholes for doing that...

 

[Chuckitall]

I've been on a few recovery/search dives in the Jupiter area of Fla. Have been on a dive where a diver disappeared. This is mostly a 120 to 140 ft area. We have always been ordered out of the water by CG or Police. That's fine, but the problem is, I watch CG and Police boats drive around over the site and not be able to put divers in the water. Most of our Police divers here do blackwater or shallow type recovery dives. We don't seem to have any agency ready to put divers in the water for 120 ft search dives. One of the searches the diver was found by locals 24 hrs later. I'm not being critical and I understand liability, but we only want to help. Is Cove 2 a good vis site or blackwater?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

There were numerous SFD, Coastguard, SPD etc.. boats in the water directly overhead in cove 2. Their divers are on com systems so they know where they are all the time (at the end of a line running a concentric 75' circle. If we were zooming around on scooters and had an issue, popped up and got hit by a rescue boat, they would be liable.

Additionally, they do not know us, our training, etc.. (and as we all know, a card means jack). The SFD and SPD divers are not a bunch of monkeys, they are well trained and often far more experienced divers than many of the folks volunteering, they know about scooters, mix, etc... They have a standardized protocol in place in situations like this.

Actually where there is a death involved, my understanding is that it IS considered a crime scene.

I apologize if this comes off as harsh, and Bob, I don't mean to single you out or offend. It is just frustrating because I see the public safety divers getting pummeled repeatedly for not calling on 'us' in basically every northwest forum and comment area for news stories right now.

I appreciate your perspective, Laura ... I haven't been following this story on other forums or comment areas.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I've been on a few recovery/search dives in the Jupiter area of Fla. Have been on a dive where a diver disappeared. This is mostly a 120 to 140 ft area. We have always been ordered out of the water by CG or Police. That's fine, but the problem is, I watch CG and Police boats drive around over the site and not be able to put divers in the water. Most of our Police divers here do blackwater or shallow type recovery dives. We don't seem to have any agency ready to put divers in the water for 120 ft search dives. One of the searches the diver was found by locals 24 hrs later. I'm not being critical and I understand liability, but we only want to help. Is Cove 2 a good vis site or blackwater?

Visibility yesterday was 25-30 feet ... excellent by Puget Sound standards ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Thalassamania]

Dive Team

​The Police Dive Team works closely with the Port of Seattle Police Departments Marine Patrol Unit, to accomplish their mission within the Puget Sound region.

Divers are trained in basic and advanced open water response and rescue diver certification. They also complete a three-week Working Diver course conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Divers use their specialized skills in underwater search and recovery of waterborne crimes; hull and pier sweeps as part of dignitary protection, special events such as the 4th of July, Seafair, and other Port of Seattle sponsored maritime events. The Dive Team also works with other regional dive teams on large scale critical infrastructure inspections and searches in the Puget Sound and surrounding bodies of water

I don't know, there may be a way to join as a volunteer/reserve.

 

[Jax]

One thing to remember is that everything the authorities require, they have to pay for to gain and sustain.

Therefore, the training is limited to single tanks and specified procedures (speaking from discussions with LA Port Authority Police and our local volunteer S & R).

I know that in Augusta, GA, there is a County Reserve Volunteer Divers organization, that people volunteer with and train with. I think our forces are doing the very best they can with their limited resources.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

When I took my DM training, my dive buddy was a Seattle PD who was training to be a part of the dive team. The biggest limitation these folks have is that none of them are trained to go beyond recreational depths ... In Puget Sound, even at that particular dive site, it's easy to go beyond the depths they're qualified to work in ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)