A Look Back
As another year ends and a new one begins, I can’t help but look back and reflect on what the year has meant to California Recovery Divers. Here are a few of my thoughts.
2023 was a growing year for California Recovery Divers. On the business side of things, we finalized some much needed paperwork for our 501c3 status. We redesigned our website and added a facebook page. And we enlisted the help of another team member. We have purchased much needed equipment to expand our capabilities. By upgrading one towfish and adding another, we are now able to accommodate deeper searches when necessary. We also added an electric winch to assist with the backbreaking sonar cable management.
But most importantly; we responded to more requests this year than in any other previous year. Our members spent more than 30 days out on the water searching lakes, rivers and the ocean for missing loved ones. Our team members this year have been successful in locating and recovering 5 family members who may otherwise have not been found and returned to their loved ones.
The past year was not without its challenges. Because of the high cost of the specialized equipment that we use, most of our equipment has to be purchased 2nd hand or through auctions. This contributes to the frequency of equipment failures that are inevitable in the treacherous environment that they are used in. Towing a sonar unit or navigating an ROV in deep murky water with submerged trees and debris is a difficult and hazardous condition that we face in a lot of our searches.
Unfortunately, it got the best of our ROV this year and required extensive repairs and caused some unfortunate delays. A couple of searches exceeded the advertised limitations of our equipment and we had to improvise and reconfigure to successfully search the areas we needed.
More than anything, the one thought I have for the year is gratitude. To our team for their unselfish dedication and time they all have committed to California Recovery Divers in the past year. And to their families, who are just as unselfish with their support and understanding. A thank you goes out to the Law Enforcement Community and First Responders who have helped us with critical information and assistance necessary for our searches to be successful.
And a special thank you to all the generous donations received in the last year. Without your continued donations, no matter how small, we would not be able to continue helping the families who need it. And to anyone who has taken the time to read this, follow us on social media, or leave positive comments and emotional support for us and the families we try to help.
Thank you and I wish you all a great 2024.
