Just after daybreak at the Panama City Marina, a group of Florida State University Panama City scholars prepared for a dive. They removed equipment from a vehicle, traversed the length of the pier, and surveyed the landscape that included a vessel secured in calm waters. Today’s objective: Resolve a mock underwater crime.

The scenario felt authentic. As per the drill, a diver attending to the boat’s propeller overnight failed to check back in. The team feared the worst — that the diver remained submerged.

These learners are part of FSU Panama City’s Underwater Crime Scene Investigation (UCSI) program, where training dives akin to this one occur frequently.

Mike Davis, head of operations for FSU’s Advanced Science Diving Program, remarked that the simulations are crafted to instruct students on how to systematically manage underwater inquiries.

“They will outline a search zone, comb through the area to locate evidence and the body,” Davis explained. “After pinpointing its location, they’ll tag the body, identify all evidence, and mark the positions based on a reference point, ensuring that if the evidence is needed in court, it is accurately represented — including its position, water depth, and all those details.”

The article FSU Panama City students dive deep with Underwater Crime Scene Investigation certificate initially appeared on Florida State University News.