Underwater Recovery Unit

The Underwater Recovery Unit was created in 1957. The unit provides diving expertise for the department, mostly in the areas of body recovery, evidence collection and recovery of stolen property. The unit assists other state, local, and federal departments in a number of activities. The unit has assisted the Michigan Department of Transportation with underwater bridge inspection/video taping, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources with photography and video taping of shipwreck artifacts and confiscation of illegal gill fishing nets, the United States Coast Guard with hull inspections and retrieval of property, such as buoy markers.

Underwater Recovery Unit Organizational Structure

The members of this unit are troopers and sergeants assigned to the various posts throughout the state. These members are trained and certified as divers and divemasters. When a call for service is received, the closest available divemaster will assess the scene and determine what type of equipment, resources and personnel are needed to safely accomplish the mission. The closest members to the location of the request are activated and assigned to the detail.

The unit has several trailered boats, sonar and side-scan sonar, an equipment/command post vehicle, and a warming shelter for ice diving operations. Members are equipped with single and double 100 cubic feet tanks, half and full face masks, dry suits, underwater communications, stabilizers, regulators and computers. Divemasters are equipped with global positioning system devices, steel cables, tow bars, oxygen tanks, and metal detectors.