Lighthorse officers expand training with scuba certification

This article appeared in the October 2014 edition of the Chickasaw Times

SULPHUR, Okla. – Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Sgt. Adam Lawson and Patrolman Daniel Cloud earned scuba certifications at Lake Arbuckle Sept. 5. According to dive team instructor Captain Vincent Walters, to be a certified dive team member is not an easy feat.

Officers go through rigorous training before earning certification. Trainees must complete 14 hours of classroom training, 17 hours of practical application, and have at least five open water dives. Mental and physical condition are also assessed.

The certification tests are conducted at Lake Arbuckle, Lake Murray and Lake Tenkiller.

According to Capt. Walters, a large part of the certification is physical fitness.

“In all the dive books, the physical is a very important part,” he said. “If you are out of shape, you will be using more oxygen. You will not be able to stay down for long periods of time. You have to be able to hold your breath and be able to swim at least 50 feet without push-off under water.”

After a dive team member is certified, an even more demanding training takes place. Capt. Walters provides training on navigating underwater, visibility underwater and operating equipment underwater. Diving in Oklahoma ponds is especially challenging.

“It’s almost like falling in a tunnel,” Capt. Walters said. “The light gets completely blocked out.”

The Lighthorse Dive team was established in 2007. Capt. Walters began scuba diving in the early 1980s, but his interest in it was sparked again when he noticed a direct link between scuba diving and criminal investigations.

“You have to treat any dive situation like a crime scene,” he said. “It’s just in water.”

Currently, there are five dive team members who search for stolen vehicles and weapons, and assist with homicide investigations.