Mike Berry is one of the world’s leading trainers and authorities in Public Safety Diving and specializes in teaching others how to succeed and survive in this ever demanding and challenging profession.
As a public safety diver, you have the opportunity to work with local authorities and be part of a scuba diving rescue team, conduct search and recovery dives, and maybe even underwater criminal investigations.
Path to Public Safety Diver & Underwater Criminal Investigator
“I became a certified diver right after I got out of the army. A year later I joined the Virginia State Police and my Field Training Officer happened to be a State Police Diver who told me about their dive team.
While going through training, he was called to recover some stolen handguns and asked if I wanted to come along. I could not believe it! There I was… searching in the mud with zero visibility and my hand hit something hard. I felt its shape and realized I had recovered a stolen handgun. On that day, something happened inside me. I discovered what I was going to do for the rest of my life.”
Most Unique Underwater Criminal Investigator Experience
“During a murder weapon recovery… everything is hinging on your abilities and dive skills to make the recovery. I’ve had murderers laugh and tell me to my face that I’ll never find it. The look on their face is priceless when I make the recovery.
Body recoveries are also interesting. You are called upon to help bring closure to a horrible situation and you do this by using your diving skills. A family can’t begin to heal until their loved one is recovered. What an honor it is to be asked to help.”
Career Opportunities
“More and more law enforcement agencies are seeing the need to have highly trained and certified Underwater Criminal Investigators (UCI) to respond when their investigations lead to the water’s edge.
A UCI Diver is trained to recover anything from a bullet, knife, handgun, rifle, body, or vehicle. When they locate their target, they market it, triangulate its location, photograph it, document their involvement, then package it all while using proper evidence handling and chain of custody procedures.
Career opportunities are growing worldwide as more and more departments and agencies recognize the need for divers with UCI capabilities.”
Interested in becoming a Public Safety Diver?
Find out more about the PADI Public Safety Diver program.