‘Looking for someone’s loved one’: Behind the scenes of Chesterfield’s SCUBA Rescue Team

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — In the past few weeks, Chesterfield County’s SCUBA Rescue Team has recovered the bodies of three people from local waterways: two from the Appomattox River and one from the Swift Creek Reservoir.

Behind each mission is a group of dedicated first responders, including firefighter Jake Crockett.

"Our primary goal is to reunite people so that they can get on with their grieving process," Crockett said.

Earlier this week, the team recovered the body of 46-year-old John Morgan from the Appomattox River.

"It's a lot of just using your hands and using your fingers to reach out and grab whatever you can find and identify it before you let go and then move on," Crockett said.

When a call comes in, Crockett said every second matters. If the team can arrive within an hour, there may still be a chance to save a life.

"But then once we get beyond that, it becomes [a] recovery [mission,]" he said. "The emotional demand is pretty heavy, too, because you're down there looking for someone's loved one."

Chesterfield County Fire and EMS' scuba rescue team. (Photo: Chesterfield County Fire and EMS)

Crockett said summer is typically the team’s busiest time of year, as more people head to the water. Still, he emphasized that the team’s commitment is year-round.

"We all got into this to make a difference in people's lives -- and it sounds cliché, but it's true," he said. "When we get to go out and run legitimate calls where we get to make a difference, it is very rewarding for us."

Crockett urged everyone to take water safety seriously. No matter how strong a swimmer someone may be, it's best to swim with others and to always avoid areas where swimming is prohibited.