Exclusive look at Clay County Dive Team's lifesaving training

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Clay County Dive team is one of the only underwater search and response teams in the county.

They've worked on some of Northeast Florida's biggest cases, like Cherish Periwinkle, Haleigh Cummings and Somer Thompson.

Just recently, they assisted Green Cove Springs Police Department recovering evidence.

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"It's a whole different way that we do things," Sgt.  Christopher Glenn said, referring to police work underwater. "We have a whole different way that we collect evidence underwater. We have a whole different way that we mark evidence underwater-- to where were we do sketches and all kinds of different things."

Action News Jax, Meghan Moriarty got a chance to see for herself.

"It's a little bit different than what you see on TV," Glenn joked.

The Action News Jax team met up with the dive team at Camp Blanding Joint Training Center.

They went on a boat that looks similar to a pontoon and headed out deep into the lake. Glenn said their training sessions are parallel to the real deal.

"We actually have a submersible mannequin," Glenn explained. "So, we put an actual mannequin down on the bottom. There is an actual submerged boat at this location that we dive on quite frequently."

Regardless if it's practice or the real deal, the process is still the same. It's all hands on deck. Everyone has a designated position, whether that's the diver, the backup or the "bubble watcher."

"We put one or two people on the top of this boat, and their sole responsibility is to watch the bubbles-- as they say-- coming up from where the divers are," he explained.

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Communication is also a big part in these missions. One man on board has a headset and can communicate with the divers underwater.

The full face masks that divers wear have speakers and a microphone inside.

The masks automatically turn on once they get wet. Moriarty got a chance to try it out.

Divers practice each month. The team has people with a range of experience — from nine years to two weeks on the job.

"We have to do it all the way through. That way everybody gets the same type of training." Glenn said. "That way everybody gets to see the same thing, and everybody gets to experience it all the way through."

Cox Media Group