7 Myths - Setting the Record Straight
Myth 1: A Solo Recovery Diver Should Take Priority As The Best Way To Find A Loved One Who Drowned
In reality, the true objective is a respectful and coordinated recovery operation that includes law enforcement, families and witnesses. Of course, the overarching objective is closure for families. But, a solo diver circumventing the protocol and methodology of law enforcement is reckless and can impede the best outcome. There may be numerous reasons for the way law enforcement conducts a search, from dangerous conditions to suspect circumstances of the drowning or missing person. Honoring the full investigative process alongside law enforcement, first responders, and the family brings disciplined coordination to a recovery and aligns with respecting the family and privacy.
Myth 2: Any Diver can Dive to Find a Drowning Victim
Most people picture diving as the same no matter the circumstances, water or conditions. So finding a drowning victim means having a few tanks, fins, mask and a caring attitude. In truth, no body of water or accident circumstances are the same. The water alone changes each minute, hour, day etc. It's never the same. Some water, like narrow rivers, are simpler for tracing a victim since a body will tend to be on the banks or in an eddy of some kind. Lakes and bays have their own significant challenges like depth, debris and obstacles on the floor. And, beaches and rocky shorelines have serious hazards of rogue waves, tides, wind and rocks. Wanting to be a hero or chest beating by a recreational diver has no place in recovering a drowning victim due to the danger, professional protocol, mandatory skills and complexity of the effort.
Myth 3: Fishing or other sonar systems are sufficient for recovery missions
There is a stubborn belief that lots of recent model fishfinders from Garmin, Lowrance, Humminbird and other consumer companies have turn-key side scan features needed for finding a drowning victim at the bottom of a lake or wide river. But, the side scan signal that goes out of a Garmin or any other type of transom-mounted sonar is at an angle of around 10 degrees below the water to the left and the right. That means there’s some area right under the boat that the sonar can’t see. And it’s mounted to the boat, which means it’s only good for searching really shallow water. Worse, without proper recording of a track, you might have a hard time finding where something’s located, even if you do see it. Basically, these tools only help look for fish, or the bottom right beside the boat in shallow water. In other words, you have what is known as the "streetlight effect," meaning you only look where the light is shining, right under the streetlamp. It’s too hard to look anywhere else.
Myth 4: Recovery Divers Are Really Good Generalist Volunteers With Minimal Public‑safety Training
Fortunately, the tragedy of a drowning is something that most people and families aren’t confronted with. So the average person has no visibility or insight about those who are specifically trained in supporting law enforcement for drownings. This is a foreign discipline even for career SCUBA instructors, who really focus on recreational skills. Not every community has a dive team on standby but all law enforcement, in coordination with 1st responders, have protocols and a chain of mutual aid for additional resources. The most experienced recovery divers are public-safety specialists who are rigorously and continuously trained, complete very specific certifications and follow the protocols of working faithfully and honorably with families and law enforcement. Many of these volunteers come from emergency services or active military, holding technical certifications and working within strict public-safety protocols. They are not just ‘good divers’ or dive instructors. Public-safety divers have a code of ethics and do not participate in social media or promote their work for their own benefit. They do not seek external validation for their work. They know the impact and honor the privacy of the family without fanfare.
Myth 5: Official Search Teams Give Up, So There’s Nothing More To Be Done.
In complex or exhausted cases, agencies sometimes hit a dead end or dial back on their effort once the search for a drowning victim has stalled. It can seem like there is nothing else that can be done. Sometimes this happens due to hazards or dangerous conditions. Everyone involved from the start cares about a recovery and doesn’t trivialize the need. They also know that risking the lives of recovery personnel for the recovery of a body is irresponsible. Two deaths from a single drowning is doubly tragic. Nature usually supports the recovery effort due to the natural metabolic gases that cause a body to float if it isn’t impeded by trees or rocks. It may seem that law enforcement gives up by stopping an active search effort but they typically shift to surface and shore line surveillance, which is how a good majority of victims are found after 72 - 96 hours.
Myth 6: Real Heroes Risk Everything To Recover A Body.
It can seem exciting, novel and heroic when we see someone doing something outside of our worldview or experience. Maybe they are doing something that we fear. But, performing stunts or taking unnecessary risks during body recovery isn’t heroic—it’s reckless. No diver or team should ever treat a tragedy as a performance. Unauthorized individuals who insert themselves into active or closed investigations—especially while filming or exaggerating their role—can undermine search efforts, violate family trust, and even jeopardize evidence
Myth 7: Posting Dramatic Videos Of Grieving Families Or Underwater Recoveries Raises Awareness.
Awareness is always done in a measured way without exploiting a tragedy. Exploiting someone’s worst day for views or donations is dishonorable. Showing up uninvited, staging dramatic footage, or attending funerals for strangers is not compassion. It’s exploitation. California Recovery Divers works only with the permission of family members and coordinating authorities. We do not make someone else’s grief about ourselves. Just like Law enforcement, California Recovery Divers do not use a victim’s name or image for donations, self-aggrandizement or status. We uphold dignity in every interaction with families. Our online presence exists to educate—not sensationalize. We believe the work should speak for itself, not be broadcast for clout or certificates or billboards.
Our Code of Honor: What We Will Never Do
At California Recovery Divers:
We do not film grieving families or private funerals.
We do not narrate another person’s tragedy as if it were our own.
We do not exaggerate risk, emotion, or effort to draw attention.
We do not “rush to the scene” for online clout or engagement.
We do not make tragedy into content.
We serve quietly. We serve professionally. We serve only to help.
