Hello and welcome to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Underwater Recovery Team webpage. I am Captain Fred Vyse, Commander of the Team. I began my career with the Sheriff’s Office in 1987 as a Patrol Deputy. Prior to that I was employed by the Marion County Fire Service as a Paramedic/ Firefighter. I worked my way through the ranks as a Field Training Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant/District Commander, Major Crimes Unit Commander and SWAT Commander to my current position as Captain/Watch Commander. I have a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from the University of Central Florida, and I am a graduate of the 218th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia. I have been diving since 1980 and have been conducting recovery dives for the Sheriff’s Office since 1984. I am certified through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors as a Master SCUBA diver and Divemaster. I hold numerous other diving certifications such as night diving, wreck diving, navigation diving, and deep diving among others.

Marion County is one of the largest counties in the state of Florida encompassing over 1,600 square miles. Of our land mass, we have over 84 square miles of lakes, rivers, ponds and natural waterways. This is over 5 percent of our total area and that does not include any man made retention ponds or quarry pits that can be seasonally filled with water. The Sheriff’s Underwater Recovery Team is tasked with conducting the recovery of drowning victims, the recovery of evidence or any other activity which might require underwater searches and recoveries. The Team is composed of 10 scuba divers specially trained to conduct operations under the poorest of conditions. This would include limited or no visibility, cold water environment, and hazardous materials environments (such as plane crashes or other toxic substances in the water). Unlike pleasure divers, these divers operate in fully encapsulated drysuits to protect them from potential contaminants in the water depending on the circumstances of the recovery. They are also specially trained in the handling of evidence which may have to be recovered from underwater. The divers are all excellent swimmers and must be able to swim one mile in less than 35 minutes as well as performing several other water endurance exercises. Any sworn law enforcement officer who has passed the probationary requirements is eligible to try out for the Team when openings arise and while being a certified SCUBA diver is a benefit, new divers will be trained and certified.

Thank you for taking time to view our webpage and please check back regularly for updated information.

Captain Fred Vyse
Underwater Recovery Team Commander