Headed back to the crime scene

[Gary D.]

Over the years I have been tasked with some real weird diving assignments. Some I will put out to the team and see who is best qualified for the job while others I will do myself.

Well, I just got another weird one that I will be doing myself with my #2 assisting. I just can’t see assigning anyone else to this one.

The crime scene house is an old homestead that sits on a flood plain. It never dries out. It’s surrounded by creeks and ponds with the water table being just an inch or two under the house.

It must have dried out enough, at least once, in order to build the cinder block structure.

We have conflicting reports that there is, or isn’t, an 8’ root cellar under it. So via an 18” access hole I get to go under it and see what’s down there.

We have snakes but they aren’t a problem. Spiders I can get along with and Turtles put up a good fight before they become stew. But what I’m not going to like is the large amount of blood that seeped through the floor.

It’s a full haz-mat operation but we won’t know for sure what it will entail until we get a look at it an inch at a time. I will have both SCUBA and SS there to see which one will best suit my needs. A Viking under a $400.00 haz-mat suit and a case of Duct Tape should get me to sweat about 20 pounds off. Basically I will be double protected.

Yuck-E-Poooooo.

Gary D.

 

[redrover]

That sounds like awfully unpleasant diving. I thought that was what the FNG’s were for.

 

[Gary D.]

That sounds like awfully unpleasant diving. I thought that was what the FNG’s were for.

I can't do that to the FNG's. Their turn will come someday but only when they are ready.

I'll be doing a live video during it. Looks like I'll have to watch which words I choose to use

Gary D.

 

[pipedope]

Sounds like too much fun.

 

[redrover]

Yikes Gary D.,
If this is the missing children you were looking for…I just read about your involvement. Please forgive any humor. As a Canine SAR team I thought we were assigned the worst environments, until water finds. Hands down, the divers have it much worse. The hazards I’ve seen you folks endure and risk are very humbling. You may have, but possibly not, mentioned what your efforts mean to the living.
I have encouraged family to leave the sites being searched or during the recovery and two in particular stick painfully (anguish for the observer) with me.

The huge grappling hook to drag the raging snowmelt torrent as the mother watched. After an hour or so she told me she now understood why I was so insistent she leave. That it was helpful for her to see how dangerous it was and why everything seemed to take so long. She was accepting her loss finally realizing how much, and how many people were willing risk and energy expended striving to bring her 4 year old child back to her.

The 10 year old last to see his 21 year old paranoid schizophrenic brother who raged out of the house during an argument over his refusing to take his medication. Parents were MIA and this young man initiated the search and was one of the best ‘contact’ sources I’ve dealt with.
He would not leave the shore as his brother was recovered. He began to tell me how he viewed this whole tragedy, far more mature than his chronological age. The crux he said, was seeing how many people that didn’t know and love his brother were willing to do and endure. After numerous and often lengthy disappearances, actually seeing his brother recovered helped him to know his brother would suffer no more.

 

[Gary D.]

To say the operation was a bunch of crap is an understatement.

After running the dog through the residence and out buildings again it was my turn.

Under I go looking like I was headed for a lunar landing. But I quickly realized I didn’t have enough room to move with all that crap on. So back into the hole and remove all but the Viking, respirator and light. Even the small video camera and video line stayed topside.

There was a large hole under the floor but it was only about 36” deep. I was able to feel around so I know it was clear of anything we were looking for. What it was full of was urine and crap. The sewer pipe was broken and the sewage just went under the building.

Can I interest anyone in some property, surrounded by water, on 400 pasture acres, within a mile of the lake? It has no running water and an inside sewer system. Just a wonderful place for the family, not.

When the fireman hosed me off he was about 50’away. As I moved closer he moved away. I don’t know what that was all about.

Then to top things off the team get paged out for a boat accident on Fernan Lake. I think where I was is cleaner than Fernan but they didn’t end up diving as everyone was accounted for.

Gary D.

 

[Gary D.]

Believe it or not, I had the best job today.

The guys at the landfill have been working from dawn to noon due to the smell. But today, while I was under the house in deep pooooo, a bloated horse carcass exploded. Hehehehehehehehehehe. The way they just described it to me was like getting slimed in Ghost Busters. Hehehehehehehehe. It is going to be so hard to look at them without laughing.

Well after a shower with soap, Blue Coral car wash, Windex (not good on some body parts) and 8 O.R. soap sponges from the hospital, I feel kind of clean

Anybody want a hug?

That horse is going to keep me laughing tonight at work.

Gary D.

 

[FredT]

Gary,

Sounds like it's time for the vac truck.

Jeanne and I have discussed your involvment in this job over the last week or so, and we don't envy you the work. Good luck with it.

If you fancy some cleaner and warmer water we'll be heading south sometime in July.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

1. I hope you bought the fire fighter who hosed you down a couple of cold ones.

2. Too bad your video wasn't on the exploding horse. Ever seen the video where they
blow up the beached whale carcass?

ROTFLMAO, and then some.

 

[Gary D.]

Here is a poo pic Not quite the same without the odor.

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/22008

Lots of jokes at work and I still can't get a hug.

Gary D.