Search and recover

Published 12:00am Friday, August 2, 2002
Comments

With a love for diving, McGuire joined the team in 1996. So far this year, he and the other divers have been called out twice, lower than the average of six to 10 calls a year. In both cases, they recovered bodies. dive is through the help of rope tenders who determine the search pattern by letting out different lengths of rope for the diver. They also keep tabs on how long the diver has been under. Divers can signal the tender by tugging on the rope to say &uot;stop; turn; I found the object; bring me up and let out more rope.&uot; &uot;A lot depends on a good mark,&uot; McGuire said. &uot;If you start in an area and search well, you can find anything.&uot; One way that happens is when witnesses mark the spot where a victim has drown. If a boat is anchored, McGuire said to call for help. If no one is around, he said to tie something that floats to the anchor to mark the spot before going to shore. Along with a mark and tenders, proper equipment is also vital for the dive team’s success. The county has seven to eight dry suits. The county also provides ropes, safety equipment and harnesses. Each diver, though, owns most of his or her own equipment since county funds are too limited to supply the team with everything. The team also has an underwater metal detector to help with searches.

Comments

    Editor's Picks