Actual Sonar Image of a Body Laying on the Bottom (Please Note: this image is not from the current search or any past search in our region)
High Resolution Side-scanning Sonar Equipment is Traveling Over 3,000 Miles to Assist with the Recovery Effort in Kuskoquak Slough
Yesterday BSAR was contacted by Mr. Keith Cormican founder of Bruce’s Legacy, a Wisconsin-based non-profit organization that provides aid in locating drowning victims. Mr. Cormican has been following the the local recovery efforts on kusko.net/bsar/ and offered his services to our group. He was not requesting any compensation – only that we provide travel expense for himself and his equipment.
His equipment consists of sophisticated side-scanning sonar, which he has used extensively for under water body recovery along with under the ice recoveries.
Prior to speaking directly to Mr. Cormican, we thoroughly reviewed his website: BrucesLegacy.com
We later phoned him and talked at length about his experience and the characteristics of the recovery area that BSAR is currently working in. Based on the information exchanged in this conversation Mr. Cormican was optimistic that if the missing persons are on the bottom of the River, he can locate them with his equipment. His equipment can produce high resolution sonar images of the river bottom for one hundred feet on each side – for a total sweep of 200′ per pass. The River in this area is 800′ wide.
If they are frozen into the ice or suspended somewhere in the slush, his equipment will be less effective but maybe not entirely useless.
On Sunday evening at the daily BSAR debriefing our membership overwhelmingly approved the submission of a request for additional support for the travel expenses of Mr. Cormican to the Alaska State Troopers (AST).
We greatly appreciate the support AST has provided to date for this recovery effort, and felt that this additional support would not only improve the chances of a successful close to this case, but would also give BSAR the initial experience with this type of equipment, that will eventually lead to us toward obtaining and effectively operating our own side scanning sonar equipment for the benefit of recovery operations throughout the entire region.
With the ice is growing thicker each day, recovery efforts become more and more difficult. Due to this, time is of the essence. A written request for travel assistance for Mr. Cormican and his equipment was written that night and submitted to the Alaska State Troopers first thing this morning (December 22).
Our State Representative Bob Herron got wind of our request and followed up directly with the State Commissioner of Public Safety, Gary Folger. Mr. Folger promptly approved the request.
This good news reached BSAR late this afternoon and we started the planning process for this new assistance immediately. Additional logistical and tactical details were discussed at length during tonight’s debriefing.
Mr. Cormigan will be arriving in Bethel from Wisconsin with his equipment Friday evening, December 26th. He will be brought to the recovery site on Saturday and will have three days to conduct his work.
Area of the Current Recovery Effort
In the meantime, recovery efforts will continue using the normal tried and true methods of our region’s People and their traditional knowledge.
Even after 10 days of cold, wet work our searchers are in good spirits and continue to work well together. If they aren’t successful in the coming days prior to Mr. Cormigan’s arrival, we will look forward to adding this new technology to support our local traditional knowledge.
A big thank you to all the searchers, supporters, Keith Cormigan, the Alaska State Troopers, Commissioner Folger, and Representative Herron.
Sonar Being Used in an Under-ice Recovery
