It can be a bit damp…
Essex SAR has had a water search capability for several years. However, in 2019, a project was put in place to further equip the water team with canoes to assist in the searching of water features for missing people. We are extremely grateful to the Chelmsford Round Table for funding this project. All the necessary equipment was purchased in Autumn 2019, and the canoes became operational from autumn 2020.
The canoes work side by side with our bank search teams, who are trained to search on the very edge of (but not in) water courses, lakes, etc. By working in parallel, the canoes and bank search teams will search the same piece of water from different angles and vantage points, increasing the chances of locating any item of interest.
