The Bay County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team is on
call 24 hours a day to respond to search and rescue or recovery calls or crime scene
investigations when a body of water is involved. There are currently five full time and
two reserve deputies assigned to this team, which is a voluntary assignment.  Three boats are available to the Dive Team, including
a 24-foot R.H.I.B. (rubber hull inflatable boat), a 19-foot Boston whaler and a 17-foot
Boston whaler. These deputies have to pass strenuous physical fitness tests to be a member
of the dive team, and constant training is required to keep up with the latest diving and
investigative techniques.
Training ranges from perfecting line and compass searches to the use
of specialized equipment, such as sonar, dry suits and full-face diving systems. The team
is also trained in helicasting, where divers in swim gear are deployed from a helicopter.
Frequently, the divers train along side divers at the Navy Diving and Salvage Training
Center on Panama City Beach. Each member of the Dive Team is S.C.U.B.A. certified.
 The Dive Team was called
out a total of 23 times in the year 2000. The team rarely dives in the open waters of St.
Andrews Bay or the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the time, they work in lakes, streams or
canals, providing almost zero visibility for their missions. In 2000, the Dive Team was
called to assist in recovery of aircraft's, stolen vehicles and weapons used in commission
of crimes, among others.
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