Page 9 - Aug Sept 2016

Michael Bery: Master Underwater Criminal Investigator Instructor Trainer

Michael Berry: UCI training is very challenging. We intentionally push the
student’s skill level by placing them in harsh conditions while they are being tasked

to accomplish a mission. Our programs are “performance based” and teach you
how to not only recover underwater criminal evidence, but how to handle the “what
could happens” along the way. So yes, we have had students panic a little while

underwater. In these situations, you are trying to avoid perceptual narrowing or
what’s known as “tunnel vision” which could lead to anxiety or worse. To control

this, divers are taught to: Stop, Breath, Think and then Act. So they:

Stopping all activity, even for a second prevents them from reacting to the situation
which is usually the wrong solution to the problem. Breathing slowly and deeply
calms them down and prevents hyperventilation. It also sends oxygen to the brain

which allows them to think clearly. Think of a solution to the problem, what were
they trained to do in a situation like this. Then Act, do what you were trained to do.

By following these procedures, you normally stay in control, avoid tunnel vision
and panic and solve your problem. Remember the saying, “fight like you train and

train like you fight”. This saying is referring to realistic training that will allow
the participant to succeed and survive. Because of this, UCI NEVER trains in a

swimming pool. We train were we will be called upon to search.

Sonya Trippett: What is the proper procedure for handling human remains found
underwater?

Michael Berry: It depends on the situation, their state of decomposition and

the investigation you are involved in. In a normal body recovery, once the body
has been located, the diver would mark its location with a marker buoy and then

document the recovery. After creating what’s called “illustrative evidence”, which
is evidence you create to illustrate your involvement, the diver would bag the body
underwater. We use specially designed UCI aquatic bags that allow the water to

drain out of the bag, but trap any trace or physical evidence that might be on the
body inside the bag. For badly decomposed bodies, a UCI diver conducts what’s

called a “Detailed Grid System” which is a special designed grid system laid on
the bottom and the divers work within their created lanes and collects the bottom
composition in buckets. These buckets are then brought to the surface and given to

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