Tritech Hammerhead Offers Search Benefits

The Tritech SeaKing Hammerhead system is being used to locate missing persons by the Yorkshire and the Humber Police areas, UK, through their regional underwater search and marine unit. The system was recently deployed at Snailsden Reservoir, in the Peak District, South Yorkshire, to quickly locate the body of a missing person who was believed drowned. Prior to deployment of the sonar, the area was mapped using Tritech’s StarFish 990F, a high-resolution sidescan sonar system, to ensure the safety of divers entering the waterway, and ultimately reducing the amount of time they had to be in the water.

Tritech’s SeaKing Hammerhead sonar provides 360-degree scans of the search area, a georeferenced plotter display and a built-in compass ensures accurate marking and mapping of the search area. The SeaKing Hammerhead can be operated in two frequencies: 675kHz for large-area survey, up to a radius of 100m and 935kHz for high-definition target examination at up to 40m radius.

Sergeant Steve Birss, Yorkshire and the Humber Police marine unit explained that it was necessary to locate missing persons quickly and safely, often in nil-visibility conditions. The use of Tritech’s SeaKing Hammerhead and StarFish 990F enables them to search larger areas in less time and then quickly guide the diver directly to the missing person. Using this equipment at Snailsden Reservoir reduced the search from weeks to hours, ultimately providing closure for the family concerned.

Prior to the purchase, a SeaKing Hammerhead was provided for use at short notice; a StarFish 990F was also brought to the scene by a member of the Tritech team offering to operate the equipment on behalf of the police in adverse weather conditions for many hours.