08/18/2026
IF I DON’T SAY SOMETHING, I’M WRONG.
IF I SAY SOMETHING, I’M WRONG TOO.
Every year, on the anniversary of a recovery, I remember the son or daughter I brought home when nobody else was searching for them.
I recently honored Whisper and Baby Sandra. Today, however, I want to share their story as a lesson for every recovery diver and Sheriff’s Department around the world.
After I located their vehicle, I confirmed that Whisper and Baby Sandra were still inside. The windows were open, and both were wearing their seat belts.
On my second dive, Jared prepared the cables for me. I secured the vehicle, and the end of the cable was already on shore, ready for the tow truck.
Our recovery plan was simple: cover the open windows with cargo netting, pull the entire vehicle from the water and cover it with a tarp as it came out. There was no reason to open the doors underwater.
Everything was ready.
Instead, the Sheriff’s Department brought in its own dive team. Two divers entered the water, opened the vehicle and attempted to remove Whisper and Baby Sandra and place them into recovery bags underwater.
That was a huge and preventable mistake.
After 45 days underwater, a body can accumulate enough gas to become buoyant. The current carried Whisper away, forcing firefighters to chase her and use long poles to catch her—all in front of her family.
Whisper was not treated with dignity.
Her family should never have been forced to witness that. She was someone’s daughter, not an object in the water. In my opinion, this happened because ego took over and there was a determination to complete the recovery themselves, even though I had already found the victims, evaluated the underwater conditions and prepared the vehicle for removal.
Victims are not objects. They are someone’s children. Their families are watching, and those final images will remain with them forever.
The lesson is clear:
There was no need to open the doors or attempt to bag Whisper and Baby Sandra underwater. When the windows are open, secure them with cargo netting. Recover the vehicle with the victims still protected inside. As the vehicle comes out of the water, cover it completely with a tarp.
When an experienced diver has already found the victims, inspected the scene and prepared a safe recovery plan, listen to that diver. Work together and use the knowledge already gathered.
This should never be about control, credit or which team performs the recovery.
Leave the ego behind. Protect the victims. Respect their families. The only objective is to bring someone’s son or daughter home safely and with dignity.
Comments are open to everyone. Please share your thoughts and perspective respectfully—whether you agree or disagree. Let me learn from your comments. Share
