Frequently Asked Questions
What services does California Recovery Divers provide?
Our primary focus is recovering drowning victims with privacy and respect. We use our extensive experience to help families understand how the search and recovery process will unfold, and act as a liaison with other agencies to provide clarification, assistance and support.
How much do you charge for a drowning victim recovery or do you expect a donation?
We don’t charge anything nor do we ask for a donation. California Recovery Divers is a philanthropic entity (501c3) with a team of highly experienced unpaid volunteers. We exist solely to provide recovery services of drowning vicitims, family and community aid. Every dollar given by donors is used only for this mission and is accounted for in our financial statements.
Do you earn revenue or evangelize your recoveries on social media?
No. We find it very distasteful to exploit the tragedy of family who has lost a family member in a drowning incident.
We do not use social media to gain a following, build a community and raise funds.
We will never use social media as a means to exploit a family’s tragedy for organizational or personal gain. The work of recovering a drowning victim is highly personal and we believe it should not be sensationalized or broadcast under the guise of helping others or raising awareness.
We help families quietly in the time of distress.
We have collectively recovered over 40 drowning victims and we’ve learned how important it is to treat the victims and families with dignity at their time of tragedy. There are times that we may post some insight, re-post news article or outcome on our website or on a social media platform. This is infrequent and we strive to do it in an informative, professional and sensitive way with the families knowledge.
Do you have a YouTube channel or post videos of your recoveries?
No.
We’re aware of some groups have posted videos of actual victim recovery operations which can be highly distasteful and distressing to families.
Some have also posted the recovery of a victim BEFORE the family was informed by law enforcement.
We believe that social media scrollers are inexperienced with drowning recoveries that they mistakenly think of this as ‘sharing ’ and fail to see that this activity adds additional trauma to an already traumatized family. There is a long standing understanding of respecting families privacy and trauma in the real, non-social media world. Yes, families look for help on social media but they expect that thoughtful people will respect their tragedy and trauma and not endorse or exploit their trauma.
Our focus is solely on assisting families in times of great need and doing this with respect for their privacy. We have collectively recovered over 40 drowning victims and we’ve learned how important it is to treat the victims and families with dignity at their time of tragedy. Exploiting a family’s tragedy through social media or video is unethical and against our Code of Honor.
Where do you underwater search and recovery services?
Northern and Central California. We’re happy to consider more distant projects, but our volunteers are based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
What makes you different from police and firefighter teams who assist with drowning victim events?
Usually law enforcement and firefighters are called as first responders. The scope of their mission is dictated by the many other activities they’re also responsible for.
Our team is a supplemental resource that can take a highly detailed, analytical and focused approach to recoveries.
We also work very closely with first responders, and some of us also do volunteer work on law enforcement teams, both directly and as instructors and mentors. Optimally, we’re the team that can take a “handoff” from first responders when they need to direct their resources elsewhere or have exhausted their capabilities.
How does someone engage California Recovery Divers for an underwater search and recovery?
Text or Phone: 510-972-4227
Web site: www.californiarecoverydivers.com
A Families First Approach:
There are times that we become aware of a need through the news or our law enforcement contacts, and coordinate with first responders and family members to make sure we have accurate information about how the recovery process unfolds, and to ensure we’re not interfering with first responders.
We never chase cold cases or push ourselves on a family or law enforcement.
Law Enforcement Partnership:
We are acutely aware of the need for coordination with active law enforcement and respect the proper steps and protocol to recovery a drowning victim. There are often circumstances that are not known to the public that must be accounted for in a recovery effort. We nor anyone should assume that nothing is happening or that law enforcement has given up.
Do you have branded merchandise?
Sorry, no. We’re in the service of helping people, not selling stuff.