Customer Success Story: Underwater Recovery with Glenn Lang

DTG3 for Underwater Operations
ATV Retrieval
Innovation for the Future
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Deep Trekker was lucky enough to speak to State Police Computer Crime Unit Special Agent Glenn Lang. Lang was on the tactical unit for more than a decade, involved in numerous risky and dangerous cases. Lang noted during that time he always felt confident and safe but a recent health scare left him feeling retrospective.

While reflecting on his life, Lang considered the things he still wanted to accomplish. As he noted to the Waldo VillageSoup, Lang always enjoyed underwater metal detecting growing up on Pitcher Pond in Lincolnville.

After considering the idea of an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV), Lang began to brainstorm all of the possible uses for such a vehicle, including locating people who have gone missing in bodies of water. Lang immediately thought of two snowmobile riders who went through the ice on Rangeley Lake and were not found for months after. As quoted to Waldo VillageSoup Lang noted, “diving under the ice is extremely dangerous, and if the water is too deep divers can’t get to the bottom…that case was brutal on the families and first responders, some of whom are my friends.” Lang said that this particular case stuck out to him as one that could have greatly benefited from the assistance of an underwater ROV.

It was shortly after this revelation that Glenn acquired a Deep Trekker DTG3 ROV.

Earlier this year, Lang used his DTG3 ROV to assist the Knox County Sheriff’s Department and the Maine Warden Service in the retrieval of an ATV that had sunk in Crawford Pond after going through the ice.

DTG3

Lang owns a Deep Trekker DTG3. Intelligent and advanced, the DTG3 is a durable and portable submersible remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The mini observation-class vehicle was built to provide operators the ability to quickly and safely deploy to inspect underwater environments.

Equipped with an internal pivoting 4K UHD camera, the ROV provides 270 degree underwater views. Constructed with multiple communications and external ports, the vehicle can be customized with a variety of different sensors, manipulators and sonar options to accommodate a range of underwater operations.

Use ROVs to improve the locating, identification and retrieval of your target

ATV Retrieval

On February 1 on Crawford Pond in Warren, Maine, two ATV riders unfortunately drove out into a dangerous area of open water. Safely and efficiently rescued by the Knox County Sheriff’s Department and the Maine Warden Service, both riders were unharmed however the ATV was lost underwater.

Covering an area of 596 acres with a maximum depth of 57 feet, Crawford Pond is a tough spot to find a sunken ATV in. Police had a flat-bottomed jon boat to retrieve the ATV with, however actually finding the sunken vehicle would require more than that.

In lieu of sending down a diver into dangerous conditions to confirm the location of the vehicle, the team opted to send in the DTG3. Using the ROV’s 4k camera, Lang was able to find the ATV within half an hour.

Once the location of the ATV was confirmed by the ROV, the DTG3 was used to tie a slipknot onto the sunken vehicle to allow it to be pulled from the water. Without the ROV the time and resources needed to actually locate the ATV would have been far greater.

The ROV was also used to retrieve the ATV riders’ auger.

Lang has generously offered his services free of charge, to the State Police in searches for people who have gone through the ice.

Innovation for the Future

At the moment, Lang is working on his own innovative designs to build upon the versatility of Deep Trekker’s vehicles. Using a boom and an ATV anchored to the ice, Lang’s invention will be able to bring large objects up and out of the water after being located by the ROV. With Lang’s originality he will be able to continue to retrieve larger sunken objects like vehicles, snowmobiles, boats and ATVs, among others.

A constant inventor, Lang is also working on the design of a scoop to attach to the ROV. With the scoop, Lang could remove trash and garbage from the bottom of nearby ponds.

Easily used for commercial purposes, Lang also employs his ROV for inspection and recovery missions. Preferring his hobbies pay for themselves, Lang uses resourcefulness and ingenuity to make the most of the DTG3’s versatility.

We sincerely thank Lang for his time and for sharing his story with the Deep Trekker team. You can learn more about Deep Trekker ROVs in search and rescue work by checking out our Search and Recovery 2019 Wrap Up.

Our team is here for you to answer any questions you may have, reach out today.