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JACKSON, MI — Do you own your own scuba gear? Are you looking for a way to help Jackson County residents?

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is looking for volunteers to join its dive team.

The all-volunteer dive team works with local public safety agencies for water rescue, evidence retrieval and drownings. You do not have to live in Jackson County to apply, you just need to live nearby, Undersheriff Chris Kuhl said. Most of the current team consists of recreational divers.

The 13-person team has divers who have been members for more than 15 years. Some want to stop diving and assist from the surface. There is no limit to the number of people on the team; it just depends on interest and skill level, Kuhl said.

Those who make the team are deputized and attend training throughout the year. There is training in the summer and winter to make sure the team is ready for all conditions. But, if the situation is not safe, divers are not sent, Kuhl said.

The team is not a front-line response, instead they typically work in recovery. The team has assisted with cars that fall through ice, recovering evidence that’s been thrown in a lake or river and body recovery after drownings, Kuhl said.

Decomposed body found in Grand River is female, autopsy shows

No positive identification has been able to be made yet due to the severity of the body’s decomposition, police said.

While volunteers are expected to provide their own equipment, the sheriff’s office does provide some equipment, such as sonar, Kuhl said.

There is a small stipend for team members, and the amount varies based on the number of trainings and dives attended. The stipend is intended to help maintain equipment, and volunteers join the team because they want to help the community, Kuhl said.

“It’s a very rewarding function,” Kuhl said. “Ultimately what we need at the end of the day is divers in the water.”

Interested applicants can contact the sheriff’s office at 517-768-7900 for more information. Applications are available at the office at 212 W. Wesley St. A full list of requirements is below.

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