{"id":26793,"date":"2024-04-23T09:07:09","date_gmt":"2024-04-23T13:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/?post_type=dan_alert_diver&p=26793"},"modified":"2024-04-23T09:07:16","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T13:07:16","slug":"royal-bermuda-regiment-coast-guard-divers","status":"publish","type":"dan_alert_diver","link":"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/id\/alert-diver\/article\/royal-bermuda-regiment-coast-guard-divers\/","title":{"rendered":"Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard Divers"},"content":{"rendered":"

In February 2020 the Royal Bermuda Regiment launched Bermuda\u2019s first coast guard unit, responsible for enforcing maritime law in its waters and providing around-the-clock search-and-rescue capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The regiment\u2019s coast guard unit has a team of skilled divers who have served their community on numerous missions over the past few years, including recovering bodies, evidence, and submerged vehicles and conducting underwater hull searches of ships in the island\u2019s harbors. An increase in the number of dive operations since the unit\u2019s inception led them to pursue additional training in late 2023 to expand on their previous education and increase their capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mindset, skills, and practical knowledge required by a public safety dive team operating in a dual military and law enforcement capacity differ vastly from recreational, technical, and commercial diving disciplines.\u00a0Unable to find the necessary specialized expertise on the island, the regiment teamed up with local dive instructor Sam Bennett to bring in professionals and fresh perspectives from the United States. Emergency Response Diving International (ERDI) instructor trainer Thomas Powell and ERDI instructor Aaron Bradshaw, both experienced and active public safety divers, flew in from North Carolina. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of our goals was to bring the team\u2019s three recreational instructors up to speed so they could teach ERDI courses,\u201d Powell said, \u201censuring they\u2019re equipped to develop educational programs and plan in-service training that\u2019s designed to reinforce or supplement the education the team already received during certification training.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training on the island kicked off as planned. Divers completed a series of strenuous fitness and water skills tests, listened to classroom presentations of case studies extracted from actual calls, and jumped into the water to practice a series of back-to-basics dive skills.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Midway through the week, however, plans changed. Bermuda officials received intelligence suggesting an approaching vessel was smuggling drugs. The team had to embrace the unexpected and put their training to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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\"\"
Divers search the hull of the MV Suhar. \u00a9 HEATHER McCLOSKEY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Divers conduct search patterns on land before practicing them underwater. \u00a9 HEATHER McCLOSKEY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"A
A weighted float is placed next to evidence recovered during a simulated dive mission. \u00a9 HEATHER McCLOSKEY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Searching the MV Suhar<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The morning began with a briefing, but it wasn\u2019t a skill briefing this time. Officials believed the MV Suhar<\/em>, a cement carrier registered in Panama, was involved in parasite smuggling \u2014 a tactic traffickers use to hide narcotics on unsuspecting ships, which often involves divers strapping containers of drugs to a ship\u2019s hull. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A team of police and customs officers would board the vessel and execute a search warrant, and they needed coast guard divers to search the hull.\u00a0The divers planned to investigate the hull from the waterline to keel one side at a time. One diver would stay at the surface, holding the end of a thick line, while the remaining divers would distribute themselves along the line under the hull. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The line would also be a communication tool for divers to use line tugs as command signals, which is standard practice for this type of diving. The team practiced their search technique and line-pull communication on land until everyone felt confident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few hours later, divers descended along the ship\u2019s bow with line in hand. The water was a mucky, hazy green, and dark brown sediment from the harbor floor formed an ominous silty cloud around the ship, rendering it nearly impossible to see the Suhar<\/em> from more than 3 feet (1 meter) away. It\u2019s a massive vessel with a mostly flat hull and no defined keel, which complicated the dive plan. In some areas below the ship it was impossible to see daylight and know where the surface was, making it easy for divers to become disoriented if they lost contact with the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Divers felt along the hull\u2019s surface with gloved hands, communicating stop and go with line pulls. Midway down the ship, the divers\u2019 lights revealed something protruding from the otherwise flat hull. The team stopped to investigate and found several large pieces of zinc attached around one of the vessel\u2019s intakes to prevent corrosion. A diver closely examined the zinc and the grate over the intake before signaling the team to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They reached the stern 30 minutes later and conducted a preliminary rudder and propeller search before surfacing to discuss findings and adjust the plan. Surface support diligently checked on the divers, ensuring everyone was accounted for and had sufficient breathing gas to proceed with a second dive. They descended into darkness again, slowly working their way toward the bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While they concluded their search without finding anything out of the ordinary, the operation was a unique opportunity for the visiting instructors to see the divers in action. The team trained with full-face masks equipped with underwater communication systems later in the week. They also experimented with different ways to carry redundant gas sources and learned how to use sonar to aid in body recovery.\u00a0The operation highlighted the importance of specialized training, continuing education, and rigorous practice for public safety divers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting Outside the Classroom<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experience builds competency and intuition, which aid in safe and effective execution, but real operations are unpredictable. One of the best ways to prepare for that unpredictability is with simulated dive missions strategically crafted to meet a team\u2019s current needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The regiment\u2019s new ERDI instructors \u2014 J.D. Symonds, Forrest Williams, and Nathan Frick \u2014 concocted a series of realistic scenarios as part of their evaluation. They had role players act as witnesses and bystanders and assigned divers different roles throughout the simulations, so even the team\u2019s newest divers had a chance to lead an operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scenarios grew increasingly complex, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of public safety dive operations while testing the team\u2019s responses under pressure. Watching the group respond allowed the instructors to see how they controlled the scene and how they reacted to a significant distraction, such as a panicked bystander in the water. The team debriefed between scenarios, just as they would after real situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practicing scenarios enable dive teams to maintain their readiness to respond when needed. The Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard will continue running through scenarios during their in-service training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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\"Divers
Divers practice search patterns blindfolded to simulate a search in zero visibility. \u00a9 HEATHER McCLOSKEY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"A
A training manikin is used for a simulated body recovery. \u00a9 HEATHER McCLOSKEY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Looking Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The MV Suhar<\/em> search occurred after several high-value drug raids by Bermudian officials. Police and customs officers had seized narcotics worth millions of dollars in the months prior and made multiple arrests in the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As officials work to keep drugs off Bermuda streets, the regiment is equipped to support such operations in the water. The new ERDI instructors enable the team to train public safety divers in-house, and they are already planning additional training and acquiring tools to expand their capabilities based on their community\u2019s needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scuba diving has a magical way of bringing together folks across the globe and forming deep bonds through working in the industry or simply enjoying the sport. The partnership between the Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard and U.S. dive instructors is an example of how strengthening relationships between countries doesn\u2019t need to be a political affair when diving is involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u00a9 Alert Diver<\/em> \u2014 Q1 2024<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In February 2020 the Royal Bermuda Regiment launched Bermuda\u2019s first coast guard unit, responsible for enforcing maritime law in its waters and providing around-the-clock search-and-rescue capabilities.\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":26787,"template":"","dan_alert_diver_categories":[66],"dan_alert_diver_issues":[489],"class_list":["post-26793","dan_alert_diver","type-dan_alert_diver","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","dan_alert_diver_categories-dive-slate","dan_alert_diver_issues-q1-2024"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRoyal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard Divers - DAN World<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In February 2020 the Royal Bermuda Regiment launched Bermuda\u2019s first coast guard unit, responsible for enforcing maritime law in its waters and providing around-the-clock search-and-rescue capabilities.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/id\/alert-diver\/article\/royal-bermuda-regiment-coast-guard-divers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"id_ID\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard Divers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In February 2020 the Royal Bermuda Regiment launched Bermuda\u2019s first coast guard unit, responsible for enforcing maritime law in its waters and providing around-the-clock search-and-rescue capabilities.\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/id\/alert-diver\/article\/royal-bermuda-regiment-coast-guard-divers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"DAN World\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-04-23T13:07:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Q1_157_Bermuda-1200x600-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"In February 2020 the Royal Bermuda Regiment launched Bermuda\u2019s first coast guard unit, responsible for enforcing maritime law in its waters and providing around-the-clock search-and-rescue capabilities.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.dan.org\\\/alert-diver\\\/article\\\/royal-bermuda-regiment-coast-guard-divers\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/world.dan.org\\\/alert-diver\\\/article\\\/royal-bermuda-regiment-coast-guard-divers\\\/\",\"name\":\"Royal Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard Divers - 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