A team of 15 volunteers form the Sheriff’s Dive Team, coming from diverse backgrounds like the military, medicine, law, engineering, information technology, security and firefighting. They’re all scuba-certified and some even have master’s degrees in forensics. But sometimes, the nose of the canine is needed.
The Search and Rescue K-9 Unit trained together with the Dive Team for the first time at Lake Henshaw Saturday, testing the waters, so to speak, to better understand their roles and capabilities during a real-life incident.
“It’s understanding the capabilities of the other unit,” Sgt. Ted Thompson said of the water training. “So when we go on an actual mission, we can focus on what we do, we understand the dog unit’s limitations, we understand what their requirements are, and they understand ours.”
For example, when the dogs are in the water, it’s best to avoid distraction from other people or boats. When divers are in the water with very little visibility, it’s important that dogs stay out of the water as well.
“Because what we do is high risk, we need to make sure our skills are honed. And to do the training, it becomes muscle memory,” Thompson said. “You’re able to do the job you’ve been training to do, without having to think about it much, which is always a safer way of doing it.”
WATCH: Medical Examiner Doubles as Recovery Diver
The Dive Team is called in 24 hours per day to find human remains, weapons and stolen goods tossed into shallow and deep waters. Evidence can be as big as an airplane to as small as a pocket knife.
The Sheriff’s Search and Rescue is an all-volunteer unit. Together, they perform wilderness and urban rescues, as well as search for missing and at-risk persons. Teams are available 24 hours per day to respond to local, state and federal agency requests.
To volunteer for these teams, visit sdsheriff.net/volunteers.
SEE MORE:
