International Underwater Cave Rescue and Recovery

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International Underwater Cave Rescue and Recovery (IUCRR) is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization formed in 1999 that provides assistance to law enforcement with underwater rescue and recovery operations. [1]

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The team consists of U.S. and international coordinators (Regional Coordinators; as specified on the IUCRR website) and first responders who are trained in the incident command system. When called upon, they will work with local law enforcement to develop a rescue or recovery plan and coordinate with qualified recovery divers. [1] The divers must be certified and must be qualified to dive in the specific environment where the rescue or recovery is taking place. [2] IUCRR provides services in the U.S. and internationally, and has performed body recoveries throughout the world, [3] [4] as well as underwater cave rescues. [5]

The IUCRR have established standard recovery procedures for cave diving fatalities, and may provide expertise and resources not easily available to most law-enforcement agencies. [1] The IUCRR team members are taught to treat every recovery as a potential crime scene. [6] They are certified in these procedures by cave diver training agencies, independently of the IUCRR, though the instructors themselves may be IUCRR members. Search and recoveries and rescues are coordinated with the law enforcement official on site. [1] Although many law enforcement organizations have public safety divers, they are typically not trained for anything other than open water diving. [2] The IUCRR assist by way of regional coordinators who organise the cave trained and experienced volunteer divers who perform the overhead diving portion of a rescue or recovery. [1] [7] Also, it is generally expected that the IUCRR provides public reports of incidents, [8] [9] some of which are archived on the IUCRR website. Incident reports are published when available, but the IUCRR makes no judgments about the cause of an incident. [10]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Buzzacott, Peter; Nelson, Craig; Hill, Ken; Hires, Lamar (2017). "Recovery of deceased scuba divers from within flooded subterranean caves". Forensic Science International. 275: 167–170. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.03.009. PMID   28390222.
  2. 1 2 Nope, Wendell (March 10, 2017). "Public Safety Diver Response to an Underwater Cave Drowning". www.tdisdi.com.
  3. ↑ Tingler, Lewis; Rowe, James J. (November 25, 2019). "Update: Body of diver trapped in Manatee Springs State Park recovered". www.wcjb.com.
  4. ↑ Price, Mark (23 June 2023). "Teens find floating body, revealing 2 divers died exploring submerged Florida cave". Miami Herald. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  5. ↑ Victor, Daniel (April 18, 2019). "Diver Who Helped Thai Cave Rescues Is Himself Rescued in Tennessee". NY Times– via NYTimes.com.
  6. ↑ Citelli, Joe (22 February 2017). "October 2016 Eagles Nest Tragedy, Revisited". NSS CDS. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  7. ↑ Averill, Harry (16 January 2017). "The One Situation Public Safety Diver Training Does Not Prepare You For". www.tdisdi.com. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  8. ↑ Buzzacott, Peter; Nelson, Craig; Hill, Ken; Hires, Lamar (2017). "Recovery of deceased scuba divers from within flooded subterranean caves". Forensic Science International. 275: 167–170. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.03.009. PMID   28390222.
  9. ↑ Nof, Doron. "Questions & Answers at Indian Springs" (PDF). Lake City, FL: National Speleological Society.
  10. ↑ Cave Diver Harry (July 30, 2018). "The Certainty Trap". CaveDiving.com.
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