15 replies to this topic

[Moose]

Yesterday, my unit recovered a body in PA. What was chilling about the whole event, was something that a company tried to do.

First, here is the background…
Hunter goes out on the ice to get a fox he shot. He fell through the ice and was presumed drown. Local search and rescue teams called off the search two days later due to weather and cold related issues.
Our team was called in a day later to try and find and recover the body (which we did.)

Here is a link to the dive report (with a link to the news article)…
http://www.singlediv...showtopic=11943

Now, here is the part that bothers me. The lake is operated by the US Army Corp of Engineers. They were contacted by a company that makes remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and tried to get them to cancel our dive. They wanted to come out to the lake (a week later) and film the recovery with their new ROV so they could make a commercial out of it.

I know that I am tasteless at times, but I think this is one of the most heartless things a company could do. Here was a family, not knowing what happened to their loved one, and some faceless company wanted them to wait at least another week, so they could make a commercial! Note the recovery would have been done by a robot, so it’s not clear how gently the victim would have been handled.

What are your thoughts on this? Am I over reacting? Now mind you, I don’t think that a company offering to help a recovery is a bad thing, in fact, it’s noble of them to do so. But to have a trained unit CANCELED so they can film a COMMERICAL all while the family has to wait another week to find out any answers?
One last note, yesterday was the victim’s birthday.

[Basslet]

I have to agree with you that it is tasteless and insensitive. They can make a commercial with a dummy. If the family agreed, that's one thing. But if the family protested and they were told to stuff it, then I can see a lawsuit coming.

[drbill]

No question in my mind, Moose... they were being absolutely tasteless. Disgusting might be another word for it.

[Moose]

But if the family protested and they were told to stuff it, then I can see a lawsuit coming.

Actually, if they would have just "blurred" the face of the victim, they could have used all the images they wanted and been free from lawsuits. Just like the show "cops."

[finGrabber]

I agree with ya'll - this is tasteless and heartless

[Scubatooth]

Moose

you have my ut most

Thank you very much for the job that you do, your actions helped to bring some closure to the victims family.

thats plain heartless and tasteless to say the least. maybe this type of information needs to be released to the press so that this company can be given a large amount of air time on the issue and then let them defend there actions. but before that i think the family should be made aware of this companies motives.

Tooth

[ereediver]

I would say that if the company was saying why risk divers lives under the ice for a recovery when we have this robot that can't drownded, that might be worth the wait. For a commercial no way. Plus forgetting the fact that it's a tastless, heartless, and dispicable. A body under water for a week is still in water no matter how cold. That would not make a very viewer friendly commercial. The thinking just doesn't add up.

[cancunbiologist]

words can't describe how disgusting that is. to try to profit out of a family's tragedy...

[diverdeb]

I agree with you Moose, it's disgusting. And a tragic commentary on the scruples of the person in that company that was behind that request. Why don't you send a link to this thread to the company so they can see what the general public thinks of their idea?

[blacklatexozdiver]

If I wasn't so polite I'd tell the company where they could stick their ROV.

Edited by blacklatexozdiver, 19 December 2007 - 09:59 PM.

[dustbowl diver]

Classless is the word that comes to mind! Moose, thanks again for all that you dohere and abroad!!

[Dennis]

That is just wrong on so many levels I could never begin to complete a count.

[netmage]

Sensitivity.... Is there a point in our society when we have become too sensitive...?

At the end of the day, everything costs... people, time, resources, lives... PSD teams cost money to run & maintain and are funded likely through YOUR tax dollars. Each and every rescue/recovery effort is likely an unplanned cost to the community! (Geesh, wouldn't that be a morbid job of budgeting how many recoveries your unit has to do every year....! But lets face it - someone has to!) Not to mention, each and evey call, these friends and neighbors litterally put themselves on the line... How many times have you read about a PSD diver sacrificing themselves in the line of duty; it does happen.

This ROV company, has a product/service, hard working people they employ. Obviously they had a pre-existing need to generate a commercial... Commercials cost money right...? They see an opportunity to assist a community (at little to no cost?!?) and solve their problem; sounds like a win-win to all involved.

I'm not going to label someone heartless for bringing up an alternative... How aggressivly they are lobbying whatever official who has to make the decision, or applying political pressure - yea... thats over the line...

Sensitivity at what cost? So the next time you bitch about tax rates, remember everything costs money. I just think it's hypocritical to nail the people who have to make these decisions from both sides and see items like infrastructure, services, insurance, health care as endless pits...

-Tim

[CaptSaaz]

Have we become too sensitive? Yes, in many things... political correctness, if it saves just one life, etc. However, in this case, I think not. Unlike other places in the world, we put a high value on human life and a high regard and respect for the deceased.

Let them practice and do their thing with a dummy. Asking to wait a week to do this with a corpse is repugnant. <my 2 cents>

[Moose]

Have we become too sensitive? Yes, in many things... political correctness, if it saves just one life, etc. However, in this case, I think not. Unlike other places in the world, we put a high value on human life and a high regard and respect for the deceased.

Let them practice and do their thing with a dummy. Asking to wait a week to do this with a corpse is repugnant. <my 2 cents>

One thing I want to add here...

The ROV company had NEVER recovered a body before. They never tested the device to do such a job. I've since spoken with the company only to find that the ROV they have is about the size of a football. I have no idea what they expected to do? (tie a rope to the body and drag it out?)

Oh, they also told the Army Corp of Engineers to have a boat with a generator ready for them (the ROV is AC powered.) I don't know what they expected to do with a boat on a frozen lake, but my imagination runs wild.

After talking with the company, I realized that they really had no understanding on what was required to do the job, nor the limitation of the ROV. I've since offered them a partnership with our dive unit. Their response was less than agreeable.