Unit 43 Public Safety Diving Training
August 23rd, 2010
This past week unit 43 went through the NAPD SRD (Search & Recovery Diving) training. They started in canals on Monday and practiced all the different search patterns along with actual training in an low visibility to no visibility environment.
Dive Master Mark Sowash (left) preparing to observe his two students, Nathan Mellas and Connor Dahl, (right) in their search skills.
It was great to see them all improve each day as they get more used to the public safety side as opposed to the sport diving side. They all enjoyed their training and progressed more and more each day. At the end of the week they had a chance to put their skills to the test and do a search for vehicles. They searched 2 lakes with a depth of 60′ and visibility of about 25′. Two vehicles were successfully found – 1 had been reported stolen in 2008.
Nathan McGrath (top) converses with his dive buddy, Jeremy Yoder as they practice a search they must master to gain the title of public safety diver.
