Thursday, October 11, 2012, a floatplane capsizes in Glen Lake, New York. The two pilots that were in the aircraft escaped without injury. The local emergency services were activated. After ensuring the safety of the pilots, a volunteer dive team decided that they would flip the aircraft back over. After attempting unsuccessfully for many hours, in front of local TV crews and newsmen, the decision was made to drill holes in the forward air chamber in the pontoons. The assumption was that it would give enough negative buoyancy allowing them to up-right the aircraft. You guessed it; the floatplane sank to the bottom.
It seems that whenever there is an accident requiring an underwater recovery every person whoever dipped their toe in the water is now a “recovery expert”. From Dock Builders, Contractors, Recreational Divers, Plumbers, Marina personnel, and part-time Fire & Police Dive Teams, everyone becomes a master. Underwater recoveries require a very specialized, highly trained team. It takes proper equipment to get the job done safely and proficiently.
