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Working underwater is a challenge for me // Humans of NATO Days

He dives to depths of 100 metres, but he's also drawn to the air. He's been on missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hungary. You could meet him in the tent of the Police of the Czech Republic at the static display of the work of divers. What's it like to be surrounded by water on all sides? What do police divers most often look for? And what is the most fascinating thing about this job? This time we spoke with Martin Kučera, a police diver from the Department of Special Diving Activities and Training.

You were a diver first and then you joined the Police of the Czech Republic. How did you get into diving and what led you to become a diver in the Czech Police?
I was drawn to diving from a young age. I watched Jacques-Yves Cousteau's underwater films with great interest, as well as amateur footage of older divers in cave environments. My beginnings were very difficult because diving equipment was unavailable and extremely expensive.

After graduating from high school, when I started working, a friend and I decided to take out a 30,000 CZK loan from the bank to buy basic equipment for recreational diving. That's when it all started in earnest. We were constantly studying the available materials, taking diving courses, making underwater lights, modifying diving equipment and gradually buying the necessary equipment from the money we had saved.

From the very beginning I was most attracted to cave diving. We found equipment in different ways, especially abroad, where it was cheaper and more accessible. I got into police diving when I was already an instructor with the highest qualification of Instructor Cave Diving with the American Association NAUI. I was brought to it by my friend and instructor Roman Kudela, with whom I have been diving for some time in various locations in the Czech Republic and abroad - mainly in closed sites such as caves, flooded mines, and quarries.

What does your typical working day look like? 
Our day starts with coming to work. But our work is very specific, so it's hard to answer this question - every day brings something new. The only predetermined tasks are those we have planned in our year-long work plan. 

Our unit is involved in diving to depths of up to 100 metres in a variety of locations. We work in clean waters and ponds as well as in biologically or chemically polluted waters, pits or wells. Our main task is to search for drowned and missing persons, as well as for objects related to criminal activity. We also provide search, identification and retrieval of explosive material under water.

Within the Police of the Czech Republic, we are also involved in training police divers and tactical preparation of specialized units. In addition, we train leaders of small vessels, conduct water rescue training and work at heights and above free depth - from basic abseiling to operations in a helicopter. We service the breathing equipment we use ourselves.

Another part of our work involves the analysis of diving accidents where we try to clarify the causes of drowning. We check the functionality of the diving equipment, the quality of the breathing mixtures and evaluate the data from the dive computers.

We must also keep ourselves in good physical condition and excellent health at all times. 

We don't have much free space in our calendar, perhaps only during the summer holidays to take a short break. Unfortunately, it is in the summer that we have the most work, especially in the search for drowned persons. We do not choose the diving operations - they are decided by the fate and tragedy of others.

In the Czech environment, the case of the so-called Orlík Killers, in which we know, also thanks to a recent TV series, that mining rescuers with special equipment had to be deployed, still resonates the most in connection with the police and divers. What kind of interventions do you specialise in?
At the time of the Orlík Killers, the police only had divers with a maximum dive depth of 40 metres and did not have sufficient equipment for such diving. It was only after this case that a new concept of police diving was created and training to greater depths began.

It all started at the current Department of Special Diving Activities and Training in Brno, and after some time a second workplace was established in Frýdek-Místek. At the beginning of the operation to retrieve the barrels from the Orlice dam, divers from other European countries were also contacted. At that time, help was offered from Germany, but the costs were extremely high. Therefore, other options were sought until finally an agreement was reached with the Main Mining Rescue Service, whose members carried out the work.

I had the privilege of meeting some of these divers and hearing their testimonies about the event. They were equipped with so-called heavy diving equipment - heavy helmets, special suits with hard shoes and a system of breathing mixture supply from the surface. Despite their experience, this was in many ways a completely new challenge for them. I must admit that they have my utmost respect - they were heroes of their time and situation!

Today, police diving is at the highest level in the world. We use state-of-the-art equipment, including open and closed breathing circuits, full-face masks and heavy diving helmets. We also have state-of-the-art sonar and underwater robots for locating and mapping terrain, allowing us to work efficiently even when it is not necessary to immediately deploy divers who have natural limitations.

If it's not a secret, what do you most often look for in the water?
I've already mentioned our complex activities. Of course, we do a lot of activities that are classified because they are often related to criminal activities that are under investigation. There is no interest in making it public. In our work, the emphasis is on a calm and focused environment, which is essential for us. Of course, people often see us on events such as drowning searches or vehicle recovery etc. We carry out these actions immediately, especially because of urgent and non-repetitive actions on the spot, such as securing evidence or protecting the water environment. In the case of vehicles, our main focus is on preventing water contamination. The rescue of persons and property is also an important aspect, but it is important to note that we are not able to intervene immediately if we are not on site!

How different is your equipment from, say, tourists who dive at coral reefs or sport divers?
Currently, diving equipment is divided into two main types: recreational and technical. Recreational diving equipment consists of several key components that allow you to dive safely and comfortably underwater. These include an OC (open circuit) breathing apparatus, usually a single air or nitrox refill bottle, a basic buoyancy compensator in the form of a jacket, a wetsuit, mask and fins, or a snorkel.
Technical diving equipment differs in several fundamental aspects, primarily in its complexity and redundancy. The breathing apparatus used is an OC or rebreather, a buoyancy compensator (wing or sidemount) that allows the wearing of stage bottles (bottles worn on the sides of the diver). In the case of the OC system, it is two connected bottles, each with its own valve, connected by a bridge with an isolator to separate the bottles in case of emergency. A dry suit with argon inflation is also used for trimix diving and other specific equipment.

We use technical equipment, which is basically no different from regular technical diving. In some cases, for example when diving in contaminated waters (HAZMAT, i.e. hazardous material), we use special dry suits with full-face masks or diving helmets. This equipment is resistant to HAZMAT and can be decontaminated after use. These are usually rubber suits with HAZMAT certification.

Perhaps the biggest difference lies in the nature of our activities underwater. While most divers go underwater to explore, take video or take photos, our main job is to find something, survey the site and surrounding area, document the find and recover it. Diving also varies according to the type of object being searched for - we dive differently when searching for small objects such as weapons, and differently when searching for large objects such as a body or vehicle.

It should be noted that our diving is mostly in conditions with zero visibility, in strong currents or in locations full of sediment, trees and other objects that do not belong there. Not to mention diving in wells or other specific environments. In addition, we often dive at times when we literally don't expect to - unlike other divers who can plan the perfect day to dive in sunny weather. So we have to use various sophisticated search methods, which I think are very advanced nowadays.

How do you navigate underwater when visibility is reduced, whether it's because of the mud, the depth or the aquatic plants? 
For orientation in reduced visibility we use a guide rope that connects the diver to the guide on shore. The diver has to keep the rope taut and follow the instructions of the guide to move in the desired direction. If the rope cannot be used, for example because of dense vegetation, orientation is by contours or by using a compass. In zero visibility, we then search for objects by touch.

What's the deepest dive you've done? 
My deepest dive is, of course, a maximum of 100 metres, I say with a smile.

You have also been on missions abroad, where Czech divers have searched for munitions in mined areas and at the same time taught local divers. Can you tell us more about that? 
I'll be brief. These missions are still going on and we are carrying them out in cooperation with the bomb disposal service of the Czech Police. This is an international police cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina, during which we train members of the Bosnian FUCZ and RUCZ units in complex diving, specialising in the search, recovery and disposal of munitions underwater.
These units are constantly dealing with the aftermath of wartime history and the dangers of discarded munitions that turn up in various places. Unfortunately, many people consider water a "reasonable" place to dispose of it. The great advantage, however, is that all members of these units are also bomb technicians who have a thorough understanding of munitions and their disposal. 

You mentioned the necessary cooperation with the bomb squad. What other professions, police or civilian, do you cooperate with the most? 
We cooperate most with the Fire and Rescue Service, which has excellent heavy equipment that we don't have. They are usually the first on the scene when there is a drowning and they carry out the rescue. When we arrive, they mainly help us with the boat equipment and provide back-up during the ongoing operation.

What does someone who would like to join the police divers have to meet? Do they have to have any special training? 
There are two types of divers in the police: divers to a depth of 40 metres and us, divers to a depth of 100 metres and confined spaces. The fundamental difference is in education, where we require a minimum of a bachelor's degree. The health of all divers must be 100%. Another difference is our job description and level of knowledge in diving - we have a bit more than that. The candidate does not necessarily have to be a diver, but it is an advantage. However, they should be technically and physically fit, as the job is not easy.

What was the most interesting or most difficult intervention you have participated in?
There are many, each event has something to offer. One of the most interesting is definitely the action when I used a police underwater robot to pull out another robot at the Hranice Abyss, which ran out of batteries and was trapped at a depth of 198 metres. The action had two phases. The first was that I had to guarantee to the management that if our robot got stuck, I would go get it. The second phase was the actual operation. It took about six hours of sitting at the monitor and praying he wouldn't stay there. I found the robot at 197 meters, tangled in various lines. I had to cut them, capture the robot and then lift it to the depths where divers were waiting. There's a video of it on YouTube.

Another important event was the mission in Hungary, specifically in Budapest on the Danube, where the Hableány boat sank with 33 tourists from South Korea and a crew of two. Seven people were rescued. At the time of this tragedy, we were on joint training with divers from Bosnia and Herzegovina in Croatia. Around noon on the second day we were notified and asked for help. Immediately, my colleague and I took a fast speedboat to the shore and started packing up. In the meantime, we were in contact with our colleagues who had stayed in the Czech Republic, discussing how we could help, what we could take with us and what they should bring. We were given basic information: a sunken boat, high water after heavy rains, in which floated many trees and other objects that the water had swept away, a current speed of 4.2 m/s and a depth of approximately 12 meters. Even then we knew that diving would be impossible. When we arrived at the site, we were met by a crisis crew who coordinated the whole operation. We were also introduced to the South Korean military commander, who asked us to deploy immediately. Unfortunately this was not possible, so we agreed to start the work early in the morning.When we gathered at the crisis headquarters in the morning, we saw a group of survivors who had been brought in by a specially dispatched plane during the night.Everyone was aware that the bodies of the drowned could have been anywhere, and with tears in their eyes they begged us to do everything possible to recover them as quickly as possible.This psychological pressure is indescribable in such actions.After gathering more information, we suggested the use of our underwater robot. Unfortunately, after several attempts it failed, bringing another wave of despair and hopelessness. After further assessment of the situation, we decided to sonar map the wreck to determine the most effective course of action.This method was successful - thanks to sonar we were able to pinpoint the ship's position and its technical condition.Some witnesses claimed that the ship was broken, which we refuted thanks to sonar.This gave us at least a little reassurance, with the hope that the victims may still be inside the hull.Subsequently, we assisted in anchoring a military lifeboat with a pontoon to a distance of only two metres from the wreck, from where further rescue operations were then carried out.We remained on site for a whole week. Our work started at five in the morning and ended around ten in the evening. 
One attempt was made with a diver in a heavy suit who managed to recover one body but unfortunately collapsed after surfacing.Due to the hazardous conditions, diving was suspended until the water level dropped and the current eased.This story is long and very sad.With this short description, I wanted to give readers an idea of what divers have to deal with and how mentally demanding the job is.I don't know a diver who wouldn't wish to return their loved ones to the bereaved and thus make it at least a little easier for them to say goodbye to the victims of this tragic event.

Is there anything about your work as a diver that you find fascinating or fun? After all, it's not exactly a normal job.
It's a lot of things!Working underwater is a challenge for me - it often requires physical and mental endurance, which I find appealing.Maybe it's the combination of adrenaline and precision that attracts me.
Or maybe it's the feeling of freedom underwater. A place not everyone can get to.The peace and quiet of another world, where the rules are completely different from those on land. And maybe it's the element of discovery - shipwrecks, underwater life, cave exploration... Every dive brings me something new.

Visitors to the NATO Days can meet Police of the Czech Republic divers right on the premises, and you yourself took part in our event.What question from visitors surprised/amused you the most? Or what, on the contrary, surprises visitors the most?
Visitors to NATO Days can meet us in the large Police tent where we have a dedicated section for static displays.Here we present our equipment and, through video, our activities underwater.

One of the exhibited items is a diving helmet for HAZMAT. 
Everyone wants to try it on and is surprised how heavy it is - it weighs approximately 14 kg. This often raises the question of how one can even dive with such a helmet.

We explain that underwater, due to its internal volume, its weight is almost lost and the diver can hardly feel it.
But there are many more questions and it is sometimes difficult to explain in layman's terms how things work. Some visitors are shy and just pass by the exhibit, while others are interested in every detail.

Do you have any funny or interesting experiences from the event/preparations?
These experiences are countless and hard to describe.Often it's our specific dark humour, but there is a healthy diet recommendation, and well, that cabbage before a dive is not a good idea, if you know what I mean.

When you watch the planes and pilots at NATO Days, what is it that draws you to the heights, what is it that draws you to the depths?
Personally, I'm drawn to heights as well - part of our job involves helicopter activities, but you can't get everything done.Still, I would like to try flying in a fighter one day. 
Deep dives open up a world to me that ordinary recreational divers never see.Here we present our equipment and, through video, our activities underwater. 
They are technically demanding, require advanced skills, and that challenge is what fascinates me about them