Light Salvage and Recovery is Dive Rescue International’s renowned three-day (24 hour) training program
for certified divers and surface support personnel. The Light Salvage and Recovery program offers an
environmentally-conscious service to your community. Students should be prepared to make several lifts
using various techniques. The focus of the program will be conducting salvage operations as they apply to
underwater crime scenes and investigations. The techniques taught in this program can be applied to the
salvage or recovery of boats, automobiles, and aircraft. This program is conducted in a classroom, pool, and
at an open-water site to allow students to practice their new skills in a controlled environment before the
field scenarios.
Key training topics and the associated objectives include:
SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT
• Identify the different types of lift bag and salvage tube designs and their lift capacities
• Define lift bag valves and their purpose
• Describe the various types of attachment straps and their use
• Define the following and their use for lift/recovery operations: carabiners, clevis pin assembly, tubular
webbing, manifold control device, air supply, and inflation equipment
LIGHT SALVAGE AND RECOVERY EVALUATION
• Describe characteristics of the scene to evaluate
• Define current vs. still water in scene evaluation
STAGE LIFT OPERATIONS
• Identify components of stage lift operations
LIFT BAG RIGGING OPERATIONS
• Identify and describe the three types of lift bag rigging options
• Describe required lifting capacities using formulas given
• Define the following: weight reduction underwater, average vehicle weight, and boat towing
guidelines
GENERAL SAFETY GUIDELINES
• Discuss general safety guidelines in relation to the divers
• Identify safety guidelines to be followed for equipment