ORANGE PARK, Fla. — It may seem odd seeing a diver in a pool, but this is all a part of training for divers with the Clay County Sheriff’s office.
These diver are training to recover items such as guns, cars, or bodies at Eagle Landing neighborhood pool. But in real life the water is not this clear and there are a lot more dangers for these divers.
"Even though it’s a pool you won’t be able to see anything and for safety we’ll have a covering on their masks, where they are not going to be able to see anything. But our safety divers that are in the water can monitor and make sure they are doing okay," said Sergeant Christopher Glenn with the Clay County Sheriffs Office.
Glenn says this year the team has found a body and brought up two cars. This year was mild compared to last year where the dive team were called out 9 times.
“With boating season, with swimming season, with all those things people are doing in the water all year long. Well also crimes are being committed all year long. Well with crime being committed and people in the water that makes it a double fold for us," said Glenn.
Glenn says all the housing development is creating a bigger need for the dive team.
“With the environmental impact with all the housing. They have to make all these retention ponds and detention ponds to help out with the water. Well with that that means retention ponds are getting close to roadways. Retention ponds are in different areas paths for criminals to run and throw things into as well as cars," said Glenn.
Tomorrow the dive team will have another training, but this time it will be in a retention pond behind Oakleaf Baptist church, and they will do a mock call out.