The McKean County Sheriff’s Department Dive and Rescue Team, which has been serving area residents for about a decade, helped bring about a conclusion to part of a criminal investigation at the beginning of July.

The all-volunteer team, run by Chief Fred Angell, is now under the umbrella of Sheriff Brad Mason’s office. Mason, Angell and District Attorney John Pavlock spoke to The Era Monday about how the team helped some burglary victims find closure.

Pavlock explained there were a series of burglaries throughout the county involving several individuals. The men, in their late teens and early 20s, were stealing or attempting to steal guns.

In one instance, four hunting rifles had been taken from an elderly man. His family was concerned about what happened to the guns. “Were they on the streets of Buffalo?” Pavlock said, explaining that in some criminal cases here, weapons have been sold in New York state in exchange for drugs.

As part of the men’s sentences, they were required to cooperate with recovering the guns. One defendant did that, telling Pavlock’s office the guns had been thrown in Potato Creek near Farmers Valley.

That’s when Mason realized the Dive and Rescue Team could be of service.

“Brad spoke up and said the Dive Team could help find them,” Pavlock explained.

The defendant went to the scene with Mason and the Dive Team and showed where the guns had been thrown.

The team set up a grid and began searching, figuring in currents and flood waters. It took two days, but the team persevered and recovered the guns.

“The guns were located 75 yards downstream from where we put in,” Angell said. The team had brought metal detectors for use also, but ended up finding the guns without them.

However, the defendant said they had also thrown ammunition into the weeds when disposing of the guns. So, the team used the metal detectors to search for the ammunition — and found that, too.

The guns were destroyed, but the family was happy to have them returned so they at least knew the hunting rifles were not being used in any crimes, Pavlock explained.

And with the positive outcome in this instance, Pavlock said he could see the cooperation continuing.

“We’re hoping to continue working with the District Attorney’s office,” Mason said, “and anyone who needs us.”

“We have a lot of water. We have a lot of crime. It’s clear they’ll come together,” said Pavlock. “It’s great to have this resource.”

“And it’s a feel-good thing for us to know the guns meant something to (the victims),” Angell said.

Mason explained that in the past, the team had no funding except what they raised themselves — paying for their own gear and other necessary expenses largely from their own pockets at about $2,000 each for the 15 diving members.

“I intend to raise the bar for supporting them,” Mason said.

“We’re in kind of a gray area,” Angell explained, saying that emergency services grants don’t usually apply to dive and rescue teams. “There’s none specifically for us.”

The team holds fundraising drives regularly, and is trying to plan some sort of booth for the McKean County Fair.

Mason said they are also discussing expanding the dive team, to combine and cross-train with land rescue organizations.

“One of our problems retaining people is a lack of call outs,” Angell said. However, he added, “we do all kinds of community service.”

The team has installed filters at reservoirs for the Bradford Water Authority, helped with maintenance at the Callahan Park Pool, recovered items for boaters or swimmers and “recovered numerous vehicles from Willow Bay.”

The team also rescues people from the water, or, in some tragic instances, recovers bodies of drowning victims.

“It’s an extremely difficult job to volunteer for,” Pavlock said. “Thank God they are there.”

Angell said the team needs volunteers other than people who can dive. “I need people administratively. I need people who can write grants,” Angell explained.

Anyone interested in joining can contact Angell or Mason.

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