UNEARTH THE TRUTH. ADVANCE YOUR EXPERTISE.

DIVE INTO JUSTICE.

Tragic Accident or Homicide? How to know for sure.

For all Dive Team members & Law Enforcement Personnel including:

  • Detectives

  • Patrol Officers

  • Crime Scene Technicians

  • Medical Examiners

  • Coroners, & Prosecutors

What were you taught about Body Found in Water investigations?

  • Is it a body dump or a drowning? State-of-the-art diagnostics of drowning

  • What to photo and document on body & scene

  • Bathtub, bucket, toilet, pool, & open water incidents.

  • SIDS or Homicidal Drowning?

  • Preservation of possible water crime scene

  • What happens to submerged bodies and evidence?

  • Submerged evidence recovery / processing (DNA, weapons, fabrics, pollen etc).

  • Was it not there - or did the dive team miss it?- How to tell the difference

  • Indications of homicides by drowning.

  • Autoerotic aquatic asphyxia and Aquatic Sexual Sadism.

  • Aquatic child abuse

Take this Assessment to see if you, your agency, & supporting agencies are prepared for the next Aquatic Death & Homicidal Investigation:

Training and Expertise

  • What specific training or certifications do your investigators receive regarding aquatic death and homicidal drowning investigations?

  • How frequently is this training updated or reinforced?

  • Are there specialized units or personnel dedicated to handling water-related incidents?

Protocols and Standard Operating Procedures

  • Do you have specific protocols or standard operating procedures in place for handling aquatic death and homicidal drowning investigations?

  • How are these protocols communicated and implemented within your agency?

  • Are there guidelines for scene preservation, evidence collection, and collaboration with other agencies or experts?

Interagency Collaboration

  • How do you coordinate and collaborate with other entities involved in aquatic death investigations, such as medical examiners, forensic experts, or search and rescue teams?

  • Is there a designated point of contact or established communication channels for interagency collaboration?

  • Have you participated in joint training exercises or simulations with these entities?

Resources and Equipment

  • What specialized resources, equipment, or tools do you have available for conducting investigations in aquatic environments?

  • How do you ensure the availability and maintenance of these resources?

  • Are there partnerships or agreements in place to access additional resources if needed?

Past Experiences and Lessons Learned

  • Can you provide examples of previous aquatic death or homicidal drowning investigations your agency has handled?

  • What challenges or lessons have you learned from these cases?

  • Have you made any changes or improvements in your procedures based on past experiences?

Expert Consultation

  • How do you engage with forensic experts and medical examiners in the investigation process of aquatic deaths?

  • Are there established relationships or contracts with external experts to provide specialized assistance when needed?

  • How do you ensure their expertise is effectively utilized?

Continuous Improvement

  • What initiatives or measures are in place to continuously enhance your agency's capabilities in handling aquatic deaths and related investigations?

  • Do you participate in professional associations or training programs specific to water-related incidents?

Your answers to these questions can help assess the level of training, protocols, resources, collaboration, and overall preparedness of law enforcement agencies and personnel when it comes to aquatic death and related homicidal investigations.

Top 5 Things every supporting agency should consider

Proper Training and Expertise:

Handling aquatic death and homicidal drowning investigations requires specialized training and expertise. Law enforcement agencies should ensure that their personnel receive proper training in forensic aquatic investigations to effectively recognize and investigate these cases.

Scene Preservation:

Preserving the scene is crucial in aquatic death investigations. Once a body is recovered from water, it is essential to protect the area to prevent contamination or loss of potential evidence. Timely notification to investigators and forensic experts is crucial to maintain the integrity of the scene.

Autopsies and Forensic Analysis:

Autopsies play a critical role in determining the cause and manner of death in aquatic cases. Forensic Pathologists and Medical Examiners need to have experience in identifying and documenting specific injuries associated with drowning, as well as signs of trauma or foul play.

Coordinated Multidisciplinary Approach:

Preserving the scene is crucial in aquatic death investigations. Once a body is recovered from water, it is essential to protect the area to prevent contamination or loss of potential evidence. Timely notification to investigators and forensic experts is crucial to maintain the integrity of the scene.

Mishandling and Initial Challenges:

Several factors can contribute to the mishandling of aquatic death cases initially. Some common challenges include the difficulty in recognizing signs of drowning due to lack of understanding, misinterpretation of post-mortem changes in bodies submerged in water, inadequate training of first responders, and the complex nature of underwater crime scene investigations.

Andrea Zaferes

MEET YOUR EXPERT INSTRUCTOR

Zaferes is a noted speaker at Forensic/ Rescue Conferences worldwide, has published several books in the PSD field and consults on homicidal drowning cases across the U.S. & Canada.

Past diving honors include: DAN Rolex Award, Beneath the Sea Diver of the Year Award, Women Divers Hall of Fame & much more.

Andrea’s credentials include:

  • Expert Legal Witness for diving and other water-related incidents.

  • Homicidal Drowning Investigation, assists law enforcement and

    private citizens with homicidal drowning investigations.

  • Numerous Media Interviews.

People are praising TEAM LIFE GUARD SYSTEMS

WHAT HAVE OTHERS SAID ABOUT THIS CLASS?

“Worthwhile course! I have learned more in 2 days than in my life regarding CSI…I would recommend it to anyone in the field of criminal justice.”

Tyler Pacheco

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“Absolutely! [would recommend]to everyone- EMS, Police and Coroner/Deputy Coroner should have this class- Oh, let’s not forget Lawyers and Judges.”

Mona Fellers, Grand Junction, CO

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“Loved this course, very objective view along with fresh material. This area of investigation is mostly overlooked. Zaferes presented the material like a motivational speaker.”

Chief Depty. Investigator Paul Kirkham, Apache County Attorney’s Office, Arizona

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“Great tools for actually conducting investigations. Extremely practical. Fantastic. Absolutely recommend this course to investigators and rescuers. Very knowledgeable instructor with data to back nearly everything and experience. This was among the top courses I have taken as an investigator in over 11 years on special investigations. Inspiring!”

Detective Eric Ronning, Oregon

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“Most worthwhile. Second only to the actual dive course for how much I learned. It embodies a change in thinking that needs to occur service-wide. I most liked the shift from an acceptance of ‘accidental drowning’ explanation and the 3 questions.”

- Doug Sherwood, Calgary PD

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“Loved it! Great job! I learned more in 2 days than I have ever learned in a lifetime.”

- Allie Phelps, Colorado

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“Due to this training, I will never again look at a drowning as accidental, until all evidence is examined first. A valuable course for all first responders.”

- Don DiDomenico, Abington FD, Massachusetts

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“Yes, every Investigator who handles any body in water cases should attend this training.”

- John Krause, Peoria PD, Arizona

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“One of the best courses in 21 years.”

- Mark R. Malamatos, San Diego County PD, San Diego, CA

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“This is a very important course for all first responders to experience.”

- Latroy Campbell, Goodyear PD, Goodyear, AZ

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“It will change how you handle your scene / death investigation forever. Drownings will never just be an accident, tragedy from the start.”

- Sandra Joseph, San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office, San Diego, CA

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“It’s something every investigator could use. There are not many classes that give this type of information.”

- Mark Bullock, Etowah County Sheriff’s Office.

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“Every dive team should attend this training.”

- Sgt. Lisa Colwell, Yuma PD, Yuma, AZ

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“I couldn’t imagine another death investigation without this course.”

– April Smith, Deputy Coroner, Riverside County Coroner’s Office, Riverside Cty, CA

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“Would like to see it applied / instructed at our basic academy.”

– Det. Robert Claus, Alaska State Troopers, Klauock, Alaska

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“Andrea does an amazing job of presenting it.”

– Brad Davis, Lethbridge FD, Lethbridge, Alberta

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“Every detective should take this course. Simple awareness of drownings, scene management and exhibit/evidence preservation (packaging).”

– Cst. Christian Reister,Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Calgary Major Crimes Unit

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“The material and instructor were awesome! I will never look at another drowning the same way again.”

- Gene Battaglia, Retired Police Office, Dublin, CA

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