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Posts tagged body bags for water recovery

Types of body bags used in underwater recovery

Before getting into preparing your body bag, let’s look into the types of bags out there. The three most widely used types of bags for underwater body recovery are the disaster bag, the mess bag and the disposable bag. The following will give you an idea of how each is used and what features to look for when selecting a bag:

1. Disaster Bags - These are the most commonly used bags in underwater body recovery due to their availability. You want a bag made with heavy gauge nylon or a vinyl-coated polyester fabric and can hold up to 450 pounds. Look for a bag that is large enough to hold just about any body (approx. 90” x 36”) and can withstand chemicals as well as physical abuse. You also want double-pull zippers (two zippers) and your preference of either the center zipper or the envelope -style zipper, with the zipper along the top, side, and bottom. Handles make it a little easier to carry underwater when full. The zippers and handles should be reinforced for added strength. I don’t like bags that have any kind of liner inside. The liners just trap water and make draining the bag very difficult. These bags cost around $45.00.

2. Mesh Bags - Mesh body bags are specifically designed for body recoveries in and around water. The advantage is that the water drains out the mesh. Most of these types are simular in shape and zipper style to your disaster bags. You need to check though. Some have zippers along the edges which unzips the bag like a blanket. I don’t like working with these types due to the zipper design making the bag a little hard to work with when bagging a body. I don’t use these bags often because I don’t like paying for them. I depend on the rescue units or funeral homes for bags and they usually have disaster bags available for free. These bags are constructed of extra strong vinyl coated nylon mesh double stitched nylon with 6-10 handles. Bags usually measure around 36” x 90” and can come in white, yellow or orange. They cost around $50.00

3. Disposable Bags - These are not used (if possible) for underwater bagging even though I have used them in the past. They are made out of plastic or an EVA meterial and are mainly used when the victim has already been removed from the water (without being bagged underwater). Such a need usually arises when victims are recovered by the grab and go method, recovered on the surface, or when a disaster bag is not available, or when underwater bagging is not practical or needed. Disposable bags should be impervious to (not affected by) blood and body fluids, hold up to 200 pounds, have a heavy-duty zipper (they usually come with a single zipper) and be large enough to hold most bodies (85” x 35”). These bags also come with either a straight or envelope style zipper. They cost around $10.00.

(Source: ucidiver.com)